ICE makes at least one arrest in Watsonville

Immigration and Customs Enforcement was back on the Central Coast Wednesday.

“ICE deportation officers were in the area today and made one arrest,” said ICE Public Affairs Officer, James Schwab.

Doug Keegan with the Santa Cruz County Immigration Project told KION a father of three was detained early Wednesday morning on his way to work just outside of Watsonville. He said the man was in the car with his wife and three kids when ICE officers pulled them over for what they thought was a traffic stop.

“His wife indicated it was very upsetting to their three children,” Keegan said The oldest child kept asking, ‘Where are they taking my daddy? Where are they taking Papi?'”

According to attorney Doug Keegan, the undocumented immigrant was taken into federal custody and brought to San Francisco. The man’s wife said he doesn’t have a criminal history but KION has not been able to confirm why he was taken into custody. Keegan said the man has been here illegally for 12 years.

Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s said ICE officials did call its dispatch center to let them know that their agents would be in their jurisdiction.

Keegan is part of the Rapid Response Network. It’s a group of volunteers that tries to observe ICE operations and keep a record of what they witness. they helped the man’s family on Wednesday, in an operation that he believes was focused on the man.

“My recommendation is that this incident should not lead to wide scale panic or hysteria,” Keegan said. “I really do believe it was targeted, it was individualized, it was not random.

Deportation officers were also in Salinas on January 30 where witnesses reported seeing ICE make at least six arrests.