ICE was in downtown Sebastopol this morning

So many North Bay Rapid Response Network folks showed up that the group told other responders to stand down

ICE pulled over a Sebastopol resident on 116 near the Safeway and asked for their legal residency papers this morning. (Photo by Laura Hagar Rush)

A Sebastopol Times reader got a text this morning notifying her that ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) was in Sebastopol. The text message came from the North Bay Rapid Response Network, which teaches immigrants about their legal rights and offers legal observer trainings to people throughout the North Bay who want to stand in solidarity with their immigrant neighbors.

She jumped out of bed, pulled on her clothes and immediately headed over the downtown neighborhood where ICE had been seen. The ICE action was all over when she got there, though several other North Bay Rapid Response folks were milling about outside a residence in central Sebastopol.

A note on the North Bay Rapid Response Network’s Facebook page confirmed that they’d called out reinforcements.

“Today, May 19, the Rapid Response Network confirmed the presence of ICE in Sebastopol near Safeway at 7:40 am with three black vehicles (two cars and one truck). We received the call at 9:30 am, and our observers confirmed with the people affected that there were no arrests.”

A representative from North Bay Rapid Response Network, who was on the scene this morning but asked not to be identified, said that an immigrant (and a Sebastopol resident) had been pulled over in Sebastopol by ICE while he was driving home.

“At around 9:22, we received a call…and put an alert out to our legal observers. We activated the Rapid Response Network, and about seven to nine legal observers arrived at a location near the Safeway in Sebastopol,” she said.

“We spoke with the man who shared about his experience that happened earlier that morning. (By the time our legal observers arrived, there was no presence of ICE.) What we came to understand is that at 7:45 that morning, a man was followed by three ICE vehicles…that were unmarked and black. He was asked to show documentation of legal residence, which he showed. A picture was taken of that, and from what we understand, that was the end of the interaction,” she said.

“There were no arrests made this morning. But, you know, the family is on edge—they don’t want to go outside—but are taking steps. We are in touch with the family for continued support that they may need,” she said.

The Sebastopol Times confirmed this incident with the Sebastopol Police this morning.

“There is a federal law enforcement agency—I don’t know which one, which branch they’re affiliated with—but they are legitimate, and they are conducting a surveillance in town. But they have left town. They’re no longer here,” said Police Captain Ron Nelson. “They are looking for somebody. I don’t know for what purpose. Some citizens saw them, had some communication with them, but they’ve concluded their business and left town without arresting anybody.”

A few hours later, Mayor Stephen Zollman confirmed in a statement he released to the Sebastopol Times that the agency in question was ICE:

On Monday, May 19, personnel from ICE conducted a raid in Sebastopol. The City of Sebastopol was not involved in this action, was not informed about it in advance, and did not provide any support to ICE.

While we do not yet have all of the details about the raid, I want to emphasize that the City of Sebastopol opposes deportations based solely on immigration status and calls upon the Federal Government to refrain from deportations of immigrants who have not been convicted of felonies endangering the community.

Zollman wrote that the city stands by its own ordinances as well as county and state laws pertaining to immigration.

In 2017, the City Council adopted a resolution “Declaring Itself an Indivisible City and Safeguarding the Civil Rights, Safety and Dignity of All Sebastopol Residents.” The Resolution declared the City’s opposition to deportations based solely on immigration status and for Congress to adopt a pathway to citizenship. Additionally, the Resolution prohibits City employees, including the Police Department, from enforcing Federal civil immigration laws or using city monies, resources, or personnel to investigate, question, detect, detain, or apprehend individuals solely on the basis of a possible violation of immigration law…

Sonoma County Board of Supervisors also passed a resolution recently that aligns with the values of the City and reaffirms that County policy is aligned with the statewide Trust Act of 2013, which limits law enforcement’s role in immigration detentions, and the statewide Truth Act of 2016, and the statewide California Values Act of 2017, which provides transparency and oversight of law enforcement communications with ICE.

The City of Sebastopol is committed to being a welcoming and inclusive city for all individuals, regardless of immigration status, and does not tolerate acts of hate, discrimination, or harassment. I am hoping that we can all come together and support our immigrant community as it continues to endure the Federal Government's current policies and practices.

Though no one was detained in this morning’s incident and ICE had departed Sebastopol before North Bay Rapid Response folks turned up, NBRRN’s representative felt it was good test of the system.

“I do know that there was a really strong show of support of Sebastopol residents who showed up as legal observers, who’ve been trained through the Rapid Response Network,” she said. “The main point is that when folks are exercising their rights and are getting trained up to use their rights, that is where we see the power of community come together to prevent detentions and to prevent arrests. So the more that we can always share the word of how we say no—like “Our rights break ICE”—that gives folks hope. As we say, “Build power, not panic.”

This is a developing story. We have reached out to ICE and are awaiting their response.