An immigration judge at Adelanto Detention Facility recently granted $7,500 bail for an undocumented Santa Barbara landscaper who was picked up by ICE agents two months ago after spending the night in County Jail. Charges, it turned out, were never filed, and he had no priors. Nevertheless, the Sheriff’s Office notified ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) of the time they would release him from jail. ICE agents waited for him at the entrance and transported him to Adelanto.
The case is just one example of toughened immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump. According to Trump’s immigration priorities, the Department of Homeland Security “will not exempt classes or categories of removable aliens from potential enforcement.”
The case unfolded one night in May. Jose’s wife of 17 years said she impulsively called the police while they were arguing about money in the street in front of their downtown apartment. Even though she hung up, “Marissa” said, the dispatcher called back. When the police showed up, “Jose” believed the whole thing was a prank, according to Marissa. (The Santa Barbara Independent agreed not to publish the real names of the individuals involved.)