Grassroots group says agents used unmarked vehicles; SMPD cites state law limiting cooperation.
By Zach Armstrong
A woman was allegedly detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers outside of a commercial building in Santa Monica early Thursday morning, according to a local grassroots response network.
West Los Respuesta Rapida posted on social media that a woman was allegedly walking on her way to work around 9:15 a.m. when the arrest was made outside 2260 S Centinela Ave. The group said as many as three masked agents and two unmarked vehicles, including a dark Ford SUV, were outside the building, located 1.5 miles away from the Bergamot Station Arts Center.
A staff member with WLRR declined to provide further details. ICE representatives did not immediately respond for comment.
Officer in Charge David Wang of the Santa Monica Police Department said the agency is not aware of the incident, adding that SMPD would only assist ICE under certain circumstances.
“If there is a call for assistance with something involving life or death, such as a crowd control issue that becomes a safety problem for agents, then we’d get involved, but not for immigration enforcement,” said Wang.
In a letter to the community last month, Chief Darrick Jacob stated that the agency, in accordance with city policy and California law, doesn’t conduct immigration sweeps, raids, or detentions based on immigration status, nor does it independently enforce federal immigration laws.
“Fear of immigration consequences should never prevent someone from calling for help or cooperating with the Santa Monica Police Department,” Jacob stated in the Feb. 5 public letter. “While SMPD does not enforce federal immigration laws, we do enforce criminal laws fairly and consistently, without regard to immigration status.”
SMPD’s ICE policy largely stems from Senate Bill 54, the California Values Act, which restricts state and local law enforcement from assisting federal immigration agencies in most immigration enforcement activities.
In October, following reports of ICE agents taking up to four individuals in custody at a Santa Monica car wash near Gilbert’s El Indio restaurant, then-Santa Monica Mayor Lana Negrete said local officials worked to connect those affected and their families with local legal and social services.
“These are our community members — our neighbors, our friends, our family,” the former mayor stated shortly after reports of the incident. “My heart is broken.”
