Salinas undocumented immigrant detained by ICE near courthouse

UPDATE 5/10/2017 5:45 p.m.:

A Mexican national living in Salinas illegally is in federal custody after he was detained by deportation officers just steps from the Monterey County Superior Courthouse in Salinas.

Jose Raul Fregoso, 22, was detained as he and his family tried entering the courthouse, where he had a hearing on Friday. Witnesses told KION he was holding a child’s hand, when a man walked up to him and whisked him away.

Officials with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement could not release specific details, but released a statement reading:

“Mr. Fregoso was taken into custody Friday morning by deportation officers assigned to one of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Fugitive Operations teams. Department of Homeland Security databases indicate Mr. Fregoso is a Mexican national who was never lawfully admitted to the U.S.

Relevant databases also indicate Mr. Fregoso has prior criminal convictions for multiple offenses, including a DUI in 2015. Mr. Fregoso will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings and it will be up to a judge with the Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review to determine whether he will be subject to removal from the U.S.”

We combed through court documents and looked in Fregoso’s criminal background. Since 2014, he has been busted for driving without a license and driving under the influence. He most recently faced charges like evading a police officer, disturbing the peace and resisting an officer.

As for why he was detained at the courthouse, it’s a tactic ICE uses when other options have been exhausted. ICE has historically went to or near courthouses for “targets” that are foreign nationals who have prior criminal convictions. They say most of those individuals would have been turned over to ICE by local authorities, but since many local law enforcement agencies are no longer honoring ICE detainers, ICE officers will go out into the field themselves.

While officers try to take safety precautions, they don’t want to put themselves or innocent bystanders in harms way. Since courthouse visitors have to go through a metal detector, that risk is reduced.

However local attorneys believe it adds another layer of fear for the undocumented population.

“There are just more venues being used to detain people and I think that’s what’s concerning to a lot of people,” Attorney Blanca Zarazua said. “‘Where can I go?’ And that’s precisely why people aren’t shopping, why the economies are suffering, it’s because people are scared to go out and go about their business. And showing up in court is just part of going about your business and trying to be responsible and to the extent that there’s a deterrent there. I think it’s going to be very chaotic for a lot of people.”

The controversial practice has even sparked concern from the California State Supreme Court.

Earlier this year, Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye sent a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, asking them to stop targeting California courthouses. She said the courthouses provide access to justice and should not be used as bait.

Both Sessions and Kelly fired back, calling her “characterization of federal law enforcement officers particularly troubling.”

ORIGINAL POST:

A Salinas man, living in the U.S. illegally, is now in federal custody after he was detained by deportation officers just steps outside of Monterey County Superior Court.

U.S. ICE officials confirm Jose Raul Fregoso, 22, was taken into custody on Friday morning. Witnesses told KION they watched as Fregoso and his family were about to enter the courthouse when an officer walked up to him and whisked him away.

A search of court records found Fregoso was scheduled to be in court that day. He was facing charges from two separate incidents, including disturbing the peace and resisting an officer. When he failed to appear in court, a bench warrant was issued for him.

ICE told KION that Department of Homeland Security databases indicate Fregoso is a Mexican national who was never lawfully admitted to the U.S. and that he has prior criminal convictions for multiple offenses, including a DUI in 2015.

Witnesses told KION they had seen similar detainments before.

Historically, ICE will seek out an undocumented immigrant at or near a courthouse if that person is a foreign national who has prior criminal convictions. Because of courthouse visitors have to undergo screenings before entering, the safety risk they could pose is diminished.

Fregoso will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings and it will be up to a judge with the Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review to determine whether to deport him from the country.