Officials confirm ICE agents back in Santa Cruz

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers were back in Santa Cruz County.

Witnesses told KION they spotted ICE officers near the Ferrell’s Donut shop on Ocean Street in Santa Cruz sometime Wednesday morning.

ICE spokesman James Schwab did confirm with KION that they had officers in that area but would not give specifics as to how many arrests if any were made.

Earlier this summer, ICE conducted a major operation on the Central Coast where 25 people were arrested in Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties.

In September, Governor Jerry Brown declared California a Sanctuary State which extends protections statewide for immigrants living in the United States illegally.

In response to the new sanctuary state law ICE said it would be conducting at-large arrests in local neighborhoods and at work sites.

We reached out to Santa Cruz Police, but Chief Andrew Mills said “we do not work with them (ICE) on immigration.”