An 805 UndocuFund volunteer was detained by ICE on Thursday morning in Santa Maria.
Alexandria Quintanar, a rapid response volunteer for the organization, was followed by an ICE agent after she dropped off signs for a protest hosted by Indivisible Santa Maria on McCoy Lane and Depot Street.
The ICE agent allegedly ran through red lights and drove recklessly for half an hour as he followed Quintanar in her car before stopping her.
“What happened to me today, being chased erratically by that ICE agent, could have been anybody’s family member,” said Quintanar, who was released from custody shortly after.
The incident comes at the heels of another volunteer for 805 UndocuFund named Joseph Dobzynski who was detained at gunpoint while observing federal immigration enforcement in Camarillo on Wednesday.
Dobzynski was released and has a scheduled court hearing in December, according to a post on Instagram.
Since Oct. 5, an estimated 84 people have been taken by ICE agents in North Santa Barbara County, according to data from 805 Undocufund.
The organization hosted a press conference outside of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office located at 740 W. Century St. in Santa Maria Thursday evening to address the recent detainments.
At the meeting, 805 UndocuFund Executive Director Primitiva Hernandez spoke alongside Quintanar and other rapid response volunteers. Councilwoman Gloria Soto of the Santa Maria City Council also shared her thoughts on what happened Thursday.
“We need more eyes on the street,” said Hernandez, who asked for more people to volunteer to document ICE activity in the community.
805 UndocuFund works with volunteers throughout San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties to document the activity of federal immigration agents. The organization also provides legal and financial resources for people affected by ICE, along with fundraising events.
Over the last two weeks, volunteers have observed a surge of enforcement throughout the Central Coast. Last week, the parent of an Allan Hancock Student was detained after leaving campus, and on Monday a man was detained outside of Albertsons in Carpinteria.
But Santa Maria has been hit the hardest by immigration enforcement out of any city in Santa Barbara County, Hernandez said.
On Wednesday, Joel Mendoza witnessed ICE agents detain a man outside of SM Wireless on 307 W. Main St. in Santa Maria. 805 UndocuFund later confirmed the arrest on their social media.
“I walk inside and I’m just kind of shocked how they can just pull up and take somebody like that,” said Mendoza, who is an employee at the cellphone and repair store.
He works with many immigrant families to help them navigate Facebook and Whatsapp on their phones.
Mendoza said he has noticed less foot traffic in his store and along Main Street, a normally bustling area of the city, this week.
“We need ICE out of Santa Maria,” Soto said. “We need ICE out of the 805.”
Soto urged her colleagues on the City Council to stand up for immigrant families in Santa Maria.
She said the Santa Maria Police Department also needs to affirm it will not cooperate with ICE nor infringe on the rights of rapid response volunteers as they document immigration enforcement.
“I’m calling on our police department to publicly communicate its policies, ensure every officer receives appropriate training and to reaffirm its commitment to protecting the constitutional rights of every Santa Marian.”
805 UndocuFund’s hotline number, 805-870-8855, is the primary way for people to alert the organization of potential ICE activity in their community. Families affected by federal immigration enforcement can also call the number for legal and financial support.
