WATSONVILLE – Federal agents arrested 54 immigrants – 25 on the Central Coast – in Central California this week in a raid Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials dubbed routine but was more extensive than arrests last year.

None of the arrests were made at a local jail and no one has been identified by federal authorities. Of those arrested, 53 have ties to Mexico and one person has ties to El Salvador. Most, 52, were men, Homeland Security Investigations spokesman James Schwab said.

Three immigrants in Watsonville and three in Santa Cruz – both are sanctuary cities – were arrested in the sting, Schwab said.

One arrest in Santa Cruz involved a Mexican citizen convicted of a felony drug charge and driving under the influence in the U.S., Schwab said.

He also said the roundup targeted “at-large criminal aliens, illegal re-entrants and immigration fugitives.”

This week’s raid was the second immigrant sting this year on the Central Coast. Before sunrise Feb. 13, Homeland Security Investigations agents arrested a dozen men with ties to El Salvador on suspicion of extortion, drug trafficking and gang activity. That raid in Watsonville, Santa Cruz and Daly City also rounded up people who are not convicts.

COUNTY BY COUNTY

Related Articles Letters: Saratoga straight shooter | ICE detention centers | Hypocrisy to spare

Vietnamese American felon facing deportation gets backing from California activists, elected leaders

Democrats to investigate claims of forced hysterectomies on immigrants at Georgia detention center

Ninth Circuit: Trump can end TPS protective status of 300,000 immigrants

Judges: Trump can’t exclude people from district drawings There were 19 immigrants arrested in Monterey County. In addition, 10 immigrants in Merced County, eight in Fresno County, seven in Madera County, two in Kings County and two in Tulare County were arrested, Schwab said.

The operation is the result of President Donald Trump’s executive order, which has generated arrests of more than 41,000 immigrants in the U.S., Schwab said. The arrests account for a more than 40 percent increase of ICE arrests from January to June 2017 in the United States.

The raids target convicted criminals, Schwab said. But roughly 25 percent of the nation’s immigration arrests this year involve people with no convictions, according to data ICE provided.

“During targeted enforcement operations, ICE officers frequently encounter additional suspects who may be in the United States in violation of federal immigration laws,” Schwab said. “Those individuals will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.”

CALL FOR HELP

Immigrant support group Sanctuary Santa Cruz received emergency calls about the raids late Wednesday and the citizens group was the first to contact the news media with information about the roundup.

Ernestina Saldana, a member of Sanctuary Santa Cruz, said in Spanish that the group had information that there likely were more than the three arrests they learned of initially. Those initial three arrests in Santa Cruz County all involved immigrants who have children in the area, Saldana said.

“They arrested a man who is very young as he was leaving work. He had a DUI,” Saldana said in Spanish. “He was doing community service for the DUI. He was free at the time. The other person, to my understanding, had been arrested previously for having an open beer at a liquor store.”

Schwab said he cannot confirm any details about the arrests.

FEDERAL COMPLIANCE

Schwab said the raids happen two to three times annually.

“This is typical for us,” Schwab said.

He also said ICE targets people who are a threat to public safety.

Arresting people on the street is more challenging than taking convicts into federal custody while in local jail custody, Schwab said.

“It’s safer for the subject, our officers and the community,” Schwab said.

He also cited concerns with the California Trust Act, a law passed in 2014 to curb compliance by local authorities asked to hold inmates for immigration authorities. The law was imposed to promote witness cooperation with local law enforcement and is meant to curb fears of deportation, according to catrustact.org.

“Unfortunately, state law in California, such as the trust act, largely tie the hands of local law-enforcement agencies that want to work with ICE,” Schwab said. “(The act) is another reason a significant number of criminal aliens are being released into our communities.”

Schwab also said it is problematic when local agencies are unwilling to comply with federal immigration-enforcement requests.

“A greater public risk is posed by local law enforcement with continuing unwillingness to honor immigration detainers,” Schwab said. “Rather than transferring convicted criminal aliens to ICE custody as requested, agencies are routinely releasing these offenders back onto the streets to potentially reoffend and the victims are often other members of the immigrant community.”

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

“Each case is different,” Schwab said. “They typically go to an ICE processing center first.”

Immigration arrests in Santa Cruz end up in San Francisco, he said.

For information on immigration support, search for the “Sanctuary Santa Cruz” Facebook page.