U.S. citizen arrested by ICE agents in Santa Barbara Friday may still be in custody without any charges filed
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – A U.S. citizen taken into custody by ICE agents in Santa Barbara on Friday has not been charged with a crime and appears to still be in ICE custody days after his arrest.
Jack Randmaa was detained by ICE agents for allegedly slashing the tire of a vehicle agents were using in Santa Barbara on February 20, 2026.
The Santa Barbara Police Department stated in a press release on the day of the arrest that ICE agents detained the 27-year-old for felony vandalism before transferring him to another vehicle at the Figueroa Police Station and leaving with him in their custody.
On Wednesday, a spokesperson for federal prosecutors in the region responded to Your News Channel's multiple inquiries about Randmaa in an email stating that no criminal charges have been filed against Randmaa and, "Our understanding is he is in ICE custody. (It appears he is in the United States illegally.) I suggest contacting DHS [U.S. Department of Homeland Security]."
When Your News Channel author noted that Randmaa's parents had publicly stated that all three of them are U.S. citizens, the First Assistant's Office declined to comment any further.
His mother's employer, a local law firm specializing in worker's compensation claims, also confirmed to Your News Channel during a phone conversation Wednesday that Randmaa is a U.S. citizen before declining to comment further.
A search of court filings Wednesday confirmed that Jack Randmaa has yet to be charged with a criminal offense.
Despite multiple attempts to speak with Randmaa's parents since his detention last week, Your News Channel has not received a response.
Your News Channel did contact the Department of Homeland Security about Randmaa, on Friday, Feb. 20, when he was taken into custody, on Monday, Feb. 23, when no response was received, and again on Wednesday, Feb. 25, after the First Assistant's Office for the Central District of California indicated he was potentially still in custody and believed to be in the country illegally.
A search for Randmaa through ICE's online Detainee Locator System resulted in zero results, an employee at ICE's field office in Los Angeles declined to share any information about Randmaa including if he was in custody, if he had contact with legal representatives, and even if he was still alive, and a voice message with ICE's Public Affairs Office has not been answered as of the publication of this article.
