It is a calm, cloudy day outside the Monterey County Jail in Salinas on Wednesday, Oct. 28. Eight legal observers are divided into two groups at the front and back of the jail, monitoring the area, waiting to see if Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will show up again.
Victor Caravez, a Salinas resident and volunteer with the Monterey County Rapid Response Network, says legal observers have been around the jail monitoring since early morning and late at night and they will continue to do so tomorrow, Oct. 29.
“We’re probably going to have another day of monitoring again, just to make sure that everything is clear,” Caravez adds.
On Wednesday, volunteers have seen some cars without plates and additional patrolling from local law enforcement. Some volunteers walk toward a white SUV that is parked outside the law enforcement-only area near the sallyport, the area where detainees are booked and released. Monterey County Sheriff’s Cmdr. Andres Rosas quickly identified himself, “I'm from the Sheriff’s Office.”
For the past two days (Oct. 26 and 27) ICE has been patrolling the Monterey County Jail. In Oct. 27 they were confronted by about 50 people including protesters, lawyers and politicians. The jail went on lockdown during this time, from 5-8pm. Faced with protesters and no inmate releases, ICE officers left at about 6:30pm.
The Monterey County jail resumed regular operations the same day at 8pm, less than two hours after ICE left.
The Sheriff’s Office said the lockdown was to keep a “safe environment” around the jail.
“These actions were taken to protect both the people inside and outside the facility,” Rosas says. He adds that protesters last night were inside a law enforcement only area. The area near the sallyport has large signs warning people it's only for law enforcement (ICE cars were parked inside that area on Tuesday night).
“ICE agents were using county property,” Caravez says. In September, the County Board of Supervisors adopted a policy prohibiting the use of county property for civil immigration enforcement activity.
Rosas says ICE didn't notify the jail that ICE agents would be performing any immigration enforcement operation in the area.
Rosas notes jail releases weren't impacted by the lockdown and inmates had access to legal counsel. “Any person that was scheduled to be released on the afternoon or evening of the 27th was released on time,” Rosas adds.
Greenfield Chief of Police Guillermo Mixer says the lockdown didn't affect regular operations, pointing out the lockdown was in place for only a few hours.