Overview
- County Counsel Susan Blitch sent a cease-and-desist letter on Thursday demanding that DHS and ICE immediately stop using Monterey County parking lots and other county property as staging areas for civil immigration enforcement and comply with parking and traffic rules.
- The letter cites recent sightings this week and last week at Natividad Medical Center, the Monterey County Jail, the Salinas Regional Soccer Complex and Juvenile Hall and says vehicles congregated in driveways, parked in red zones and blocked pedestrian and vehicle access.
- Monterey officials point to an Oct. 27 incident when reported ICE activity near the county jail prompted a temporary three-hour lockdown and say similar actions have interrupted services and risked patient and public safety.
- DHS and ICE had not publicly responded to the county’s formal demand as of the latest reports, and the county says it reserves its legal rights to act if the conduct continues.
- Local officials and advocates are stepping up tactics such as cordoning lots and limiting lobby access while acknowledging legal limits on stopping federal agents in publicly accessible areas and drawing increased public scrutiny through videos and rapid-response monitoring.