Tag: ICE

Butte County responds to immigration crackdown

Sheriff's Office ends alternative custody for some immigrant inmates
by Leslie Layton | Posted October 24, 2025
Walnut grower Tom Bush protests at No Kings 2 in Chico.

When immigration officers helicoptered into Chico in August, a network of volunteers was prepared. When the officers slipped out before dawn the next morning, they left people with both relief and lingering questions, according to NorCal Resist Chico.

NorCal Resist volunteers say they don’t know whether the officers were merely stopping in Chico on their way somewhere, or whether attention from protesters dissuaded them from taking enforcement actions that they might have preferred to be surprise.

Regardless, the visit showed the role that community preparation can play in view of immigration raids that have produced both violent as well as quiet disruptions to communities across the country. NorCal Resist says that community response is critical as Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) ramps up with a larger budget. read more

North State man leaves grieving family in accepting deportation

Harrowing journey to Mexico leaves him with nightmares
by Leslie Layton | Posted September 26, 2025
Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers arrest a migrant in the state of Virginia. Image via Flickr.

(This story is part of an occasional series on the impact of the immigration crackdown on North State families.)

Picture this: It’s a hot day in the North State in early July, and after a 3 p.m. meeting with an attorney, a Glenn County personal trainer stops at a gas station to fill his tank. Suddenly, several vehicles including a Ford Explorer pull up around him. Eight men surround him and tell him he’s under arrest.

That’s roughly how the terrible odyssey back to Mexico began for a Chico-area man who opted for deportation after an interview at Redding’s Immigration, Customs & Enforcement (ICE) sub-field office. ICE gave him a couple of options, neither of which sounded good: Spend what might be years in an overcrowded detention cell or deport. read more

Domestic violence survivors face new barriers

Immigrants suffering partner abuse afraid to go to court
by Natalie Hanson | Posted September 26, 2025
Attorney Weibel: People like Padilla may fear seeking help. Photo courtesy of ACoM.

For abuse survivors like Juana Padilla, nonprofit organizations can be a lifeline amid heightened threats of federal enforcement actions which sometimes lead to deportation.

Padilla, a woman who suffered domestic abuse in Southern California, told a recent American Community Media (ACoM) panel that the Survivor Justice Center in Los Angeles helped her get protection for herself and her Mexican-born children. The children are now here legally and getting the treatment they needed, she said.

“I was afraid to even say that I was abused,” Padilla said. “Especially when your husband is ex-military and they put in your head that you have nobody. I would call the police and they would come to my house and see his uniform …. and say everything is fine, and leave.” read more

Immigrant data-sharing threatens privacy of all Americans

"Digital watchtower" -- system of surveillance -- expands
by Selen Ozturk/American Community Media | Posted September 14, 2025

Lea en español en ACoM aqui.

The federal expansion of immigrant surveillance is increasing political targeting, identity theft and data breach risks for all Americans.

The second Trump administration has raised alarm from experts that government use of personal data under the banner of fighting fraud, stopping crime or detecting undocumented immigrants — including an immigrant name and address data-sharing agreement between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) — could threaten the privacy rights of residents nationwide, including citizens.

Last May, a federal judge denied a preliminary injunction against such data-sharing between DHS, the IRS and Immigrant and Customs Enforcement (ICE); this effectively greenlit the first-ever time the IRS formally agreed to provide taxpayer information for immigration enforcement under a memorandum of understanding. read more

“I’m an immigrant – this puts me at risk”

Gold on fascism: "We are already there."
by George Gold, guest commentary | Posted August 26, 2025

When I was about 7, my family was on a camping holiday in Queensland, Australia, when my father took me aside and relayed in detail the events that led to his escape from Nazi relocation camps in Austria.

My parents were Holocaust survivors, and part of their worldwide escape took them through several countries to Australia, where they had finally settled and where I was born. I’m an immigrant, and in the United States today, just saying this now puts me at risk of summary arrest and deportation.

My father was an amateur boxer and in excellent physical condition. He had escaped three times from different camps, each time being re-captured. Following his last escape, he hid under the floorboards of his home for three weeks. He then realized he had to leave Austria or he would probably be killed. Over the next several weeks my Dad made his way through Belgium, then to France, and then hiked his way across the Swiss Alps to Switzerland. read more

Butte County responds to courthouse ICE arrests

Hispanic Resource Council & other groups answer call to action
by Leslie Layton | Posted July 29, 2025
Hispanic Resource Council flier letting immigrant workers know that they can find out if they qualify for a grocery gift card by calling 530-519-3118.

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. read more