This story was updated on July 30 with a statement from Butte County Superior Court.
Officers from Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) made a July 28 appearance at Butte County Superior Court and may have arrested as many as six people.
Action News Now reported that six people were arrested after ICE arrived, quoting an “unnamed source.” The advocacy organization NorCal Resist said it had confirmed one arrest when that person’s companion connected with its Rapid Response Network. ICE agents have been taking immigrants at courthouses throughout the state, but it was the first confirmed ICE sweep at a courthouse in Butte County.
NorCal Resist will offer a July 30 court watch training for interested citizens.
In a statement to the press, Butte County Superior Court Executive Officer Sharif Elmallah wrote: “The Court is concerned by the potential chilling effect and other potential adverse impacts on participation in the legal system that may occur due to these enforcement actions being conducted in and around courthouses. The Court is a neutral entity that provides access to justice for all who come before it.”
The statement also says that the Court received no advance notice that there would be an ICE operation and that it did not participate. Legislation passed in 2018 “actually prohibits the court from assisting ICE under state law,” Elmallah said in a July 31 email to ChicoSol. Read Elmallah’s complete statement here.
County officials apparently heard about the operation from the sheriff, who had heard about it from his bailiffs.
The courthouse arrests came as fear has spread throughout the Northern Sacramento Valley, which has already seen several so-called “targeted” enforcements. In other words, although there have been no reports of ICE raids in this area, immigration officers have arrived on several occasions to pick up and arrest an individual they were apparently seeking. This has happened in Orland, and NorCal Resist has confirmed an arrest in Hamilton City, in Chico and in Woodland.
Hispanic Resource Council, NorCal Resist, Re-Sisters plan support
Meantime, a growing number of non-immigrants have indicated in casual conversation and on social media that they want to support, in some way, local immigrant communities, and the Hispanic Resource Council of Northern California responded this week.
The Council said it’s accepting donated gift cards for groceries (see details below) that will be distributed to Butte and Glenn County immigrants who have been affected by raids, detentions or immigration-related arrests.
The Council’s president, Reyna Nolta, said there is already more than $2,000 for the project because of donations that have come from several sources, including the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Chico. Nolta said the Council will conduct a screening process to ensure that people who most need the gift cards receive them.
Chico resident Grace Marvin has encouraged and already donated to the gift card project.
“We need to look out for the people who are doing so much of the work for our food,” Marvin told ChicoSol. “Human beings should not have to endure the kind of suffering caused by this administration’s policies.”
North State organizations that conduct outreach for immigrant communities have been canceling large events because of worry they will draw ICE to the events. Nolta said that’s why the Council this year canceled Día del Campesino, an annual event that draws about 1,000 people in Chico.
Día del Campesino, which has also been held in Hamilton City and Gridley in the past, provided access to information on nutrition and housing, offered free health screenings and flu vaccines and included cultural celebrations. Food drives produced about $4,000 in gift cards that were given to families at the event.
Nolta said she was saddened when they decided it was best to cancel what would have been the 34th Día del Campesino. She noted that the Council’s Facebook followers are families that have attended the annual event.
“It was hard to cancel,” she said. “I thought, ‘There’s got to be something we can do that really, really helps.’ We’re trusted. These are families, these are followers because they like this event.”
Several efforts are underway in support of immigrant communities this week by community groups:
- The gift card project accepts donations! Purchase a $50 gift card for FoodMaxx or WinCo Foods and mail to: Reyna Nolta, Hispanic Resource Council of Northern California, 1692 Mangrove Ave. No. 265, Chico, Calif. 95926.
- The Re-Sisters will hold an Aug. 2 vigil from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. The “For Those Disappeared by I.C.E.” event is at Mangrove & Vallombrosa avenues on the park side of the road.
- NorCal Resist Chico offers Migra Watch and Court Watch trainings on a regular basis. Watch the Facebook page here for the next training. A court Accompaniment Training will be offered at 7:30 p.m. July 30 on Zoom.
This story was corrected on July 31 to both clarify the purpose of the 2018 legislation (SB 54) and remove a typo.
Leslie Layton is editor of ChicoSol. Help ChicoSol track the numbers of immigrant detentions in this area and send story tips to chicosolnews@gmail.com.