Local leaders are speaking out after federal immigration enforcement was seen across northern Santa Barbara County on October 5, when masked ICE officers arrested at least 17 people in Santa Maria and Guadalupe, including the parent of an Allan Hancock College student in a campus parking lot Monday morning.
Shortly before 10 a.m., 805 UnducuFund’s Rapid Response Network reported the incident at Allan Hancock College, warning community members in a text message that ICE officers “took someone” from the campus. By midday, reports of ICE activity all across the city began to come into the 24/7 hotline, with more than a dozen arrests confirmed by legal observers in the area.
Santa Maria City Councilmember Gloria Soto immediately issued a statement regarding the arrest at Allan Hancock College. Soto confirmed that ICE officers detained the parent of a student in Parking Lot 2, and left the scene before college officials could respond. Allan Hancock officials were not notified prior to the enforcement activity, and did not assist in any way, Soto said…