Thursday, June 28, 2007

Santa Barbara, CA -- In a jarring reminder that the human rights of immigrants—the rights to work, move about, and live a life free from fear—are under constant threat of violation, agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement raided three restaurants in downtown Santa Barbara this morning. At least thirty people have been detained, according to community activists.

ICE officials were unavailable for comment. The manager of the Wine Cask, the restaurant nearest to the area of the reported raids, denied that any of his employees were detained.

The alleged raids come on the tails of a Santa Barbara Grand Jury investigation that scapegoated immigrants for many of the county’s problems. The Grand Jury’s report also recommended tracking undocumented immigrants—a recommendation that alarmed immigrant rights activists and civil libertarians alike.

Similar rumors of detentions and deportations, which were later confirmed, circulated on May 1 of this year, the one-year anniversary of the largest rally in Santa Barbara since the Vietnam War. In response, a group of young activists addressed the Santa Barbara city council, expressing their concern that the timing of the raids was an intentional move to suppress the free speech of immigrants, many of whom had been planning on attending immigrant-rights community events. They also urged the city to pass a resolution declaring Santa Barbara a sanctuary for immigrants.

While some members of the council subsequently expressed interest in such an ordinance, they failed to place the item on the next week’s agenda.

Area activists are currently planning their next step.

Santa Barbara -- Previously unconfirmed rumors about ICE raids in Santa Barbara have now been confirmed by two sources. The first was an eyewitness who saw ICE vans in the area of Milpas Street in the morning, and later saw ICE agents take away two people from a market on Milpas.

The second witness was contacted by a detainee from a detention facility in Camaraillo, a small city about an hour south of Santa Barbara. The informant was telephoned by an individual who worked at a restaurant on Haley street at about 11:00 a.m. The detainee reported that ICE agents entered the establishment through the back door and began demanding documentation of the workers there. They were then forced to board vans, where the worker recognized other workers from other area restaurants. Three ICE vans, carrying approximately thirty people, caravanned to a detention facility in Camarillo. En route, agents refused to answer questions posed by the detainees.

Upon arrival, the detainees were given instructions in English not to use cell phones, and were told that jewelry would not be allowed into the detention facility. Agents continued to refuse to answer any questions, but did permit each detainee to make one phone call.

The detainees were then informed that they would be deported to Mexico.

According to the watch commander of the Santa Barbara Police Department, who was contacted at seven o'clock this evening, ICE did not notify the police department of the raids.

Santa Barbara -- Previously unconfirmed rumors about ICE raids in Santa Barbara have now been confirmed by two sources.

The first was an eyewitness who saw ICE vans in the area of Milpas Street in the morning, and later saw ICE agents take away two people from a market on Milpas.

The second witness was contacted by a detainee from a detention facility in Camaraillo, a small city about an hour south of Santa Barbara. The informant was telephoned by an individual who worked at a restaurant on Haley street at about 11:00 a.m. The detainee reported that ICE agents entered the establishment through the back door and began demanding documentation of the workers there. They were then forced to board vans, where the worker recognized other workers from other area restaurants. Three ICE vans, carrying approximately thirty people, caravanned to a detention facility in Camarillo. En route, agents refused to answer questions posed by the detainees.

Upon arrival, the detainees were given instructions in English not to use cell phones, and were told that jewelry would not be allowed into the detention facility. Agents continued to refuse to answer any questions, but did permit each detainee to make one phone call.

The detainees were then informed that they would be deported to Mexico.

According to the watch commander of the Santa Barbara Police Department, who was contacted at seven o'clock this evening, ICE did not notify the police department of the raids.

The Ice Man Cometh!

Interesting choice . . .

a barful of drunks, pimps, and whores, lost in impossible drunken reveries that keep them barely attached to life, although nothing like alive. But Hickey comes to rescue them, he promises them peace (btw, what is peace for nazis?). But Hickey's killed his wife, and when the barflys agree that Hickey's insane, they can shrug off his challenge to join the living and happily submerge themselves in their intoxicated dreams. Except for the suicide, and the one guy who went for a walk outside their sheltering, mutually-protective watering hole.

What a metaphor for European denial, European blindness, European mutual admiration, European denial.

"The days grow hot, O Babylon. Tis cool beneath the willow trees."

Do you have link to the grand jury's decision? It would be an interesting read, and probably fun to pick apart.

Sounds like you've fallen for a hoax. These witnesses don't sound reliable to me. You are doing nothing but creating fear for the immigrants. Don't make up stories unless you have facts.

"Effects of Immigration in Santa Barbara County" (PDF).

I realize that there are consequences for reporting these types of actions. But the media in Santa Barbara are notorious for their lack of attention to these types of issues, and if there is danger in the community, people need to be aware of it.

A journalist from a Spanish-language publication has informed me that he is currently investigating the incident, and I have full confidence in the two witnesses with whom I spoke.

The last thing I want to do is spread unwarranted fear, which is why I did as much fact-checking as possible.

Great article.
Rockero is a research maniac; i trust his sources.

Like the previous poster noted Rockero is a research addict. if he says it happened, I'll take his word that it happened.. We should protest at the ICE regional offices for california

Of those poor jornaleros that had to suffer this racist indignation, let us keep in perspective that 2000 compañeros crossed that speed bump of a "border" last night.

Venceremos!

Americans _do_ want undocumented immigrants here. For two years, the Congress hasn't been able to do a thing to keep them out. NAFTA and CAFTA were written to bring immigrants here. Americans across the country happily use the products and services of undocumented people.

Except for a handful of grown-up bullies, the rest of the U.S. are behind people without papers. Actions speak louder than words.

It was scolari's.