This story was updated to include statements from Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s San Diego Field Office.
ENCINITAS — Community members are outraged after a man was arrested by federal officers a block away from Park Dale Lane Elementary School on Wednesday morning.
Immigrant advocacy organization Alianza Comunitaria shared a video on social media of the arrest, which occurred around 8:24 a.m. at the intersection of Park Dale Lane and Village Park Way.
In the video, a group of men wearing vests identifying them as officers with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives can be seen detaining a man in a construction safety shirt and moving him into an unmarked vehicle.
A woman can be heard in the video repeatedly asking for officers to produce a warrant, with one of the officers responding that they will produce it after they finish detaining the man. Voices in the video also state that he was driving his kids to school.
Family members, including a woman and a young child, can be seen trying to speak with the man while officers stand between them.
In a letter to families on Wednesday, the Encinitas Union School District confirmed that the man is a parent to a district student and stated that he was driving to work when he was detained.
“This incident was witnessed by family, community members, staff and students causing fear and trauma across our district. Our first concern, of course, is this family, and our district personnel will be providing them with support throughout this challenging process,” EUSD Superintendent Andrée Grey said in the letter.
“As a District community, we are alarmed and disturbed by this event and its impact on children and families. EUSD stands firmly with every family in this community. Our top priority is for our school campuses to be safe, welcoming places for all children and families, regardless of immigration status. We remain deeply committed to ensuring that every student is treated with dignity and respect, and that every family feels supported and cared for within our school community,” she continued.
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations San Diego Field Office Director Patrick Divver said the man was in the car alone during the stop, and that the woman and child appeared on the scene separately while he was being detained.
Since January, immigration enforcement operations have been occurring with more frequency in neighborhoods throughout the country, including in San Diego County, striking fear among families attending work and school.
The arrest in Encinitas comes two weeks after a woman was arrested outside an elementary school in Chula Vista, while her children were in the car. According to the Department of Homeland Security, the woman was detained for overstaying her visa.
While the Trump administration has stated that they are targeting dangerous criminals with their enforcement operations, reports have confirmed that many of the individuals arrested around the country have no previous criminal record.
State Sen. Catherine Blakespear, the former Encinitas mayor, called the arrest “inhumane, barbaric, and lawless” in a Wednesday statement, and said there has been no reason given for this arrest.
She also claimed that the man’s family members were in the car when he was pulled over, which ICE has denied.
“I am horrified by videos I have seen of an apprehension made in my hometown of Encinitas by what appears to be federal police working for ICE,” Blakespear said. “Agents abruptly separated him from his child and family, without showing identification or providing a warrant, despite repeated requests by his family and the public to see a warrant signed by a judge.”
Several community members planned to gather at Encinitas City Hall on Wednesday evening to protest the continued separation of families under rising immigration enforcement.
A GoFundMe has been organized for the family of the individual who was detained, to raise money for legal services and immigration fees, basic living expenses for his family, and emergency relocation or transitional support if the family is forced to move.
“This working father and his family needs support from our community,” the GoFundMe states. “Encinitas, let’s surround this family with love and show them our support.”
Grey also stated that the district’s policies in response to immigration enforcement are “grounded in respect, protection, and confidentiality for all families.” She added that community liaisons are working with families to ensure they are connected with the resources and support they need.
“EUSD staff have been informed to uphold and protect the legal rights of students and families, and no information is shared with immigration authorities without a court order or judicial subpoena. For information on district procedures, please visit our website at: https://www.eusd.net/parents-community/immigration-supports,” Grey wrote in the letter.
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Catherine Blakespear couldn’t resist making it a campaign promotion acting as if she cares about anything other than her political career and how much money developers are depositing into her account.