Federal immigration enforcement agents have informed Watsonville Police of visits on nine dates since January 2025, most recently on Jan. 18, 2026. (Map by Jesse Kathan — Santa Cruz Local)

SANTA CRUZ >> Two groups of agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement visited South Santa Cruz County on Jan. 18, according to notices reported to Watsonville Police and the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office.

The visits are the only documented ICE activity in the county since November. 

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office and local police have repeatedly said they do not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. However, they receive courtesy notifications when ICE or other outside agencies are operating in the county. Santa Cruz Local is conducting ongoing public records requests for the notifications with all five law enforcement agencies in Santa Cruz County.

The Jan. 18 visits

Two different groups of ICE agents notified local police of activity in south Santa Cruz County on Jan. 18. Exact locations included in the notifications were redacted from the records. 

One group of federal agents went to three locations in Watsonville: near Watsonville High School, near the Watsonville Buddhist Temple and near First United Methodist Church. At the location near Watsonville High, they notified Watsonville Police that they were doing a “knock and talk,” a police practice of knocking on doors to speak with residents without a warrant. 

The local group Your Allied Rapid Response (YARR) said in a Jan. 18 social media post that agents visited an apartment complex across from the Henry Mello Center at Watsonville High School, knocked on several doors, and left without making any arrests. YARR reported sightings of two ICE sedans and two SUVs and confirmed that a man was arrested by federal immigration agents on Jan. 18. 

The ICE arrest occurred several blocks from the reported knock and talk location, but was not at a location that ICE reported to Watsonville Police. 

A security camera video timestamped 9:30 a.m. on Jan. 18 and posted on Facebook documented the arrest. The video shows two individuals approaching a car parked at an apartment complex near Rodriguez and 6th streets. One was wearing a jacket that said “Police ICE” and the other wearing a jacket that said “Police.”

In the video, a man appears near the apartments and one of the agents gestures towards him to stay back. The agents approach the front of the car, one at the passenger window and one at the driver side window, and someone calls out the name “Carlos.” A man emerges from the driver side of the car and the agents handcuff and lead him away from the car.  

Another video posted on Facebook, taken by a resident from the second floor of the apartment building, shows the officers with the detainee next to a gray van. 

Nearby resident Paulino Olea said in an interview with Noticias Watsonville, Santa Cruz Local’s Spanish-language newsroom, that he recorded the video. 

“We were at home, just relaxing, and suddenly we saw the officers arrive,” Olea said in Spanish. “We thought they were officers from here in the city. Then, when they got out of the car, we saw that they were wearing green uniforms and vests with the letters ICE, federal police. We got scared and decided to close the window and lock it. We were watching from behind the curtain, seeing what we could see and recording it. The man didn’t resist. They handcuffed him and read him his rights. He was there, and then they took him away.”

The courtesy notices to Watsonville Police indicate that a second group of officers planned enforcement at two addresses: one near Vallarta Supermarkets, and one in Amesti near Pinto Lake City Park. It’s unclear whether ICE agents carried out enforcement at these locations. 

In a statement, Watsonville Police Department leaders said that though they received prior notification, they did not participate in the ICE activity on Jan. 18.

As immigration enforcement increases across the country, Santa Cruz Local is tracking when and where federal immigration enforcement agents, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, have entered the county. 

View our ICE tracker.

Other ICE activity

Federal agents notified local law enforcement of activity in Santa Cruz County on 18 dates in 2025. Agents are not legally required to notify local law enforcement, and may have entered on other days.

What to do if you see ICE vehicle or reports of immigration activity:

• Do not repost unverified information on social media. Misinformation can cause unnecessary fear.
• Save the phone number for Your Allied Rapid Response (YARR) to report potential sightings of immigration officials or for emergency assistance if you or a loved one is detained. Call (831) 239-4289 for sightings or detentions in Santa Cruz County. The phone line is available 24/7.
• Monterey County has a rapid response hotline to report possible sightings of immigration officials at (831) 643-5225 and see the American Civil Liberties Union for other counties. 
• Follow YARR on Facebook and Instagram to learn about verified sightings.

How to prepare for immigration enforcement

Know your rights.

If approached by immigration enforcement:

• You have the right to remain silent.
• You do not have to open your door for immigration officials or law enforcement unless presented with a judicial warrant — that means it’s signed by a judge.
• You have the right to see a lawyer before signing documents, although if arrested by immigration enforcement you do not have the right to a public defender.
• Businesses have a right to decline immigration officers access to private areas, unless the agents have a judicial warrant.

Make a plan.

• People at risk of immigration enforcement can plan for possible arrest, detention or deportation.
• Memorize the phone number for an emergency contact, like a family member or attorney. 
• Ensure emergency contacts have your immigration number (A-number) to help find you if you are detained or arrested. An ICE locator can search for detainees by name or immigration number, but the information may be delayed. 
• Make sure a trusted friend or family number has copies of your documents in case of detention.
• Parents can fill out a child care safety plan with details of who will care for their children in case a parent is arrested, deported or otherwise needs help. 

See more information on immigration resources and legal help on Santa Cruz Local’s resource page.

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