Santa Cruz County leaders, including Rep. Jimmy Panetta, on Jan. 29 condemned tactics being used by ICE and agents with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (B. Scalzo — Santa Cruz Local)

LIVE OAK >> U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Santa Cruz) and local leaders gathered in Live Oak on Thursday to discuss the nationwide crackdown on immigrants by the federal administration, and how Santa Cruz County leaders will respond if immigration enforcement  escalates locally.

Panetta, law enforcement officials and community leaders denounced tactics being used by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and border patrol agents of U.S. Customs and Border Protection across the country, such as concealing their identities, entering homes without a warrant and asking people for their citizenship status apparently on the basis of race.

Minneapolis was top of mind, as tensions there have spiked amid an ongoing immigration “surge” and the killings of at least two people by immigration agents.  

“Let me be clear, DHS (U.S. Department of Homeland Security) and ICE are not law enforcement. They are a lawless mob,” Panetta said. ICE and border patrol are part of the DHS.

Panetta said he voted against a funding bill last week that would increase DHS’s budget. 

A temporary funding bill was approved by the Senate on Friday, keeping funding for DHS steady for two weeks to give lawmakers time to negotiate Democrats’ demands, including that agents not wear masks and that local law enforcement can investigate any incidents. The House is expected to review and potentially vote on the funding package Monday.

“I voted no on the DHS appropriations package, because I’m not going to be complicit when it comes to ICE,” he said. 

Panetta’s stance on immigration over the years has been criticized. He previously advocated for more enforcement along the border to stop the flow of illegal crossings, but has also remained publicly committed to supporting immigration reform for Dreamers — beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program — and farmworkers. 

More recently, he faced backlash for voting in favor of a symbolic resolution that thanked ICE and called for cooperation between local, state and federal law enforcement. The resolution was drafted by a Colorado lawmaker in the wake of an attack in Boulder, Colorado allegedly perpetrated by an Egyptian national who overstayed his visa.

At the press conference Thursday, Panetta echoed a nationwide sentiment by most Democratic leaders, demanding ICE agents receive more training, a uniform code of conduct and use body cameras for more transparency. 

Panetta was joined by Santa Cruz County Sheriff Chris Clark, who reasserted that local law enforcement does not cooperate with ICE.

“Us as local law enforcement do not enforce immigration-related laws,” Clark said.

Supervisor Felipe Hernandez discussed the county’s newly formed ad hoc committee known as SHIELD — Safeguard Health, Inclusion, Essential Services, and Local Defense — comprising Hernandez and Supervisor Monica Martinez. Its purpose is to coordinate the county’s response and protect residents if federal immigration agents increase local activity. 

“We’re seeing that people are scared to go to essential services in Watsonville. Just last week, when immigration came to Watsonville, folks were scared to work. We can’t live with this level of fear,” Hernandez said, referring to the arrest of a man in Watsonville by ICE on Jan. 18. 

Santa Cruz County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Faris Sabbah, shared how they are dealing with the ongoing threats against immigrant families, and the effects on students. ICE’s tactics have included targeting schools, with a recent case in Minneapolis, where five-year-old Liam Ramos was detained on Jan. 20 while returning home from preschool with his father. 

“Students cannot learn if they’re feeling fear, and for the past year we have witnessed a constant attack on immigrant families, our most vulnerable communities, and public education,” Sabbah said.

Sabbah reminded the community that schools “do not cooperate, and will not cooperate, with immigration enforcement.” 

“We do not collect information about immigration status, and we do not allow immigration officers on our campus without a warrant signed by a judge,” he added.

Elaine Johnson, president of Santa Cruz’s NAACP chapter, called for more solidarity amongst the community. 

“We have to worry about our neighbors, we have to worry about our friends, we have to worry about our coworkers, because everybody is impacted,” Johnson said. “We’re in this together.”

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