State and local leaders condemn ICE arrest on Hancock campus

It was a Monday morning like any other at Allan Hancock College — a parent dropping off a student, classes getting underway, the parking lots filling up on the Santa Maria campus. Then, at approximately 9:45 a.m. on Oct. 5, federal immigration officers arrived and took a father of five into custody, turning an ordinary campus drop-off into the latest flashpoint in the debate over immigration enforcement on California's Central Coast.

The arrest has rippled through Santa Maria, a city whose economy and identity are deeply intertwined with its immigrant community. Within a day, it had drawn condemnation from a Santa Maria City Councilmember, state legislators, a county board resolution, and student-support organizations across the region.

What Happened at Hancock

According to a statement from Allan Hancock College, ICE officers came onto campus the morning of Oct. 5 and detained a parent in one of the school's parking lots. The college said it received no advance notice of the enforcement action.

"This incident has caused concern across the Hancock community, and we remain united in supporting our undocumented students and students from mixed-status families," the college said. "Allan Hancock College was not notified in advance that ICE officers would be on campus, and the college did not participate in or assist with the enforcement action."

The detained man, according to the Santa Maria Sun, is a father of five who has lived in the United States since 2004 and worked in local agricultural fields for more than a decade. Two of his children, advocates said, were adopted after their mother passed away.

"A family that has called this community home for more than two decades is missing its father," Julissa Pena, executive director of the Immigrant Legal Defense Center, told the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors at its Oct. 6 meeting.

Pena said the circumstances of the arrest "raise serious due process concerns," and pledged that her organization will "fight for this father's freedom."

The arrest was not an isolated incident. According to 805 Undocufund, the Hancock parent was among more than a dozen Central Coast residents detained by ICE that same day.

A Resolution Arrives 'Nearly 24 Hours to the Minute'

The timing was hard to miss. A county resolution acknowledging National Immigrants Day — which falls on Oct. 28 this year — reached the Board of Supervisors' desk nearly a full day after the Santa Maria arrest.

Pena thanked the board for adopting the resolution "at a moment of profound fear and uncertainty for immigrant families."

The resolution describes immigrants living in Santa Barbara County as "facing heightened violence from the Department of Homeland Security and [ICE] as part of targeted enforcement and racial profiling." It passed 3-0 on Oct. 6, with 4th District Supervisor Bob Nelson abstaining and 5th District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino absent.

"While I support National Immigrants Day, there's some language in there that I can't necessarily vote for," Nelson said, explaining his abstention. "So, I'm going to actually abstain on this one."

'We Need ICE Out of the 805'

That same afternoon, Santa Maria Councilmember Gloria Soto hosted an outdoor press conference at Hancock's designated free speech area in front of the campus library, drawing students, advocates, and representatives from state offices.

"Our schools should be places of learning, not fear or anxiety," Soto said. "We need ICE out of the 805."

Soto, whose district includes Santa Maria, used the moment to pressure her own City Council colleagues. "I continue to call on my colleagues on the City Council to stop standing on the sidelines and take action," she said.

The call has history behind it. In March, Soto's motion to form a city immigration ad hoc committee failed on a 2-2 vote, with Mayor Alice Patino and Councilmember Gloria Flores dissenting.

Representatives from Assemblymember Gregg Hart's and State Sen. Monique Limón's offices — both Santa Barbara Democrats — also attended to condemn the arrest. On Limón's behalf, district representative Carson Link read a statement that cut to the heart of what many in the campus community were feeling.

"These raids instill fear in our students, cause chaos, and result in broken trust and effectiveness between the community and those charged to keep us safe," Link read. "Our college campuses are meant to make our students feel safe, supported, and valued. Unfortunately, today a family has been torn apart, and a student has been ripped away from their parent."

Why This Hits Santa Maria Hard

For a city where agriculture, food processing, and the fields along the Santa Maria Valley floor sustain thousands of families — many of them immigrant and mixed-status households — an arrest on a community college campus lands differently than an enforcement action elsewhere.

Allan Hancock College serves as a gateway for thousands of local students, including undocumented students and students from mixed-status families, and the college has positioned itself as a place of support for them. The Sun's report noted that the campus community has rallied in the days since, with the college reaffirming its commitment to those students.

The detention of a longtime farmworker and father — in a parking lot where any parent might stand on a weekday morning — has left many residents asking what message it sends to students showing up for class, and whether campuses can remain places where families feel safe.

As of the Board of Supervisors' Oct. 6 meeting, the detained father remained in ICE custody, with the Immigrant Legal Defense Center vowing to pursue his release. Meanwhile, Soto and her allies say the pressure on local leaders — in Santa Maria and beyond — is only beginning.

This story draws on reporting from the [Santa Maria Sun](https://www.santamariasun.com/news-2/state-and-local-leaders-condemn-ice-arrest-on-hancock-campus/).