Lompoc Rallies Against ICE Following Dozens of Central Coast Detainments This Week

LOMPOC, Calif. (KEYT) - Immigrant rights supporters and local residents are assembling in Lompoc for a protest directed at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at 5 p.m. today. 

The demonstration follows a significant increase in federal immigration enforcement operations across the Central Coast this week that led to dozens of local arrests.

The local nonprofit 805 UnDocuFund reported that federal authorities took at least 34 people into custody between Monday and Tuesday. Enforcement activities were documented throughout northern Santa Barbara County, specifically in Guadalupe, Buellton, Santa Maria and at the Lompoc Federal Prison.

Public concern increased following an incident Monday morning at the Santa Maria campus of Allan Hancock College. 

At approximately 9:45 a.m., masked ICE agents arrested a student's father in a campus parking lot before departing immediately. 

College representatives stated publicly that the institution received no advance notice of the operation and played no role in supporting federal authorities. 

Family members and student representatives held a press conference on campus following the arrest, expressing severe anxiety over abrupt enforcement actions in the area.

The localized arrests align with broader enforcement patterns across the region. 

According to a report by the University of California, Los Angeles, Santa Maria and Lompoc rank among the top locations for at-large immigration arrests and transfers within the Los Angeles enforcement region. 

The report also indicated that a large percentage of individuals taken into custody face deportation within 60 days.

Rally organizers stated the event is intended to show support for undocumented families, share information regarding legal rights and call for an end to forceful sweep methods within the 805 area code. 

Advocacy organizations in the area recommend that individuals seeking information or looking to document federal enforcement actions contact the 805 UnDocuFund hotline at (805) 870-8855.

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