Over the past week, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and vehicles have been observed multiple times patrolling on County of Monterey property outside the Monterey County Jail in Salinas. They also patrolled nearby facilities, including outside of County-owned Natividad Medical Center, Juvenile Hall and the County-owned Salinas Regional Soccer Complex.
According to legal observers, ICE officers were seen again at the jail on the morning of Thursday, Nov. 5.
In response, Monterey County Counsel Susan Blitch sent a cease-and-desist letter on Nov. 5 to ICE Acting Field Office Director Julio S. Hernandez at ICE's San Francisco Office.
“ICE vehicles and agents have been observed congregating in county driveways and parking lots for purposes of staging civil immigration enforcement operations. This use is prohibited, unauthorized, contravenes county policy, and must cease,” Blitch wrote.
According to the letter, ICE is using a county-owned parking lot for immigration enforcement and agents are violating parking restrictions, blocking county facilities' entrances and exits and “operating in an unsafe manner on county property," as well as blocking access to Natividad employee parking.
"This County is taking every action we can to respond to the situation and keep everyone in this community safe,” says County Supervisor Wendy Root Askew, chair of the board. "Today I can say with confidence that the County is doing everything in our power to deescalate the dangerous situation that immigration agents are creating in our community."
She notes there is more coordination across county departments than a week ago when she personally explained county policy to ICE officers outside the jail.
On Sept. 29, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors adopted a policy that prohibits the use of county property for immigration enforcement, which Blitch attached to her Nov. 5 letter.
Blitch also highlights the hazards ICE presence is generating outside the jail and nearby areas, including Natividad Medical Center. “This creates a risk for county employees and members of the public,” she wrote. “The interruption of services to the public seeking medical care is especially troubling.”
Since Oct. 26, ICE has been observed periodically in the area, including stationing officers outside the jail’s sallyport, the area where detainees are booked and released. (ICE has been conducting similar actions in various counties across California, including Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara.)
On Oct. 27, tensions rose outside the jail’s sallyport where about 50 residents, including protesters, attorneys and politicians, confronted ICE officers. The jail went on lockdown for about three hours. Faced with protesters and no inmate releases, ICE officers left at about 6:30pm.
Roots of Resistance: The People's School, a grassroots human rights collective based in Salinas, is organizing a sit-in, “ICE out of our jail,” at 5:30pm Thursday, Nov. 5 at the Monterey County Jail, 1410 Natividad Road.
"Everyone in Monterey County should be able to seek medical care without fear or obstruction. The County of Monterey stands with our immigrant workers and families and the County employees who serve them," County Supervisor Luis Alejo said in a statement on Nov. 5.
A video taken from a car window shows an ICE encounter near the jail, on Constitution Boulevard in Salinas, on the morning of Sunday, Nov. 1. It depicts a man in jeans and a black jacket carrying a small grocery bag running; behind him, an ICE officer in a green vest trails him. The video cuts off just before it appears the man attempts to cross the four-lane street.
The video, taken at about 7am, has been posted on various social media platforms. It is not clear what happened to the man shown.
A few hours later, at 9:30am on Sunday, the Solidarity Network Monterey County's Rapid Response team reported ICE officers were again present at the Monterey County Jail and that at least one person was detained. “Detentions appear to be only of people leaving the jail upon release,” the Solidarity Network said.
“We have not received information from federal authorities identifying the individual reportedly detained or information that confirms the circumstances surrounding the reported detention,” says Cmdr. Andres Rosas, a spokesperson for the Monterey County Sheriff's Office.
ICE officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether and how they will modify their activity based on Blitch's letter.
Sara Rubin contributed to this report.