Federal deportation agents have now been spotted on an Orange County public bus after ICE raids began early last month – starting in places like Home Depots and car washes before entering neighborhoods in Santa Ana.
Now, videos are surfacing on social media showing ICE agents on a county bus.
On Thursday morning, federal agents boarded an Orange County Transportation Agency bus on Fairview and 1st Street in Santa Ana, according to Orange County Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento.
“We have confirmed that federal agents boarded an OCTA bus this morning and interacted with one of the passengers. The incident did not result in a detention or arrest,” reads a Thursday afternoon statement from Sarmiento.
“I am alarmed and troubled by what appears to be racial profiling and targeting of our community members at the hands of federal agents and the harassment of primarily minority and working-class communities,” said Sarmiento, who represents the area.
After this story was published, OC Transportation Agency spokesman Eric Carpenter said it “appears to be an isolated incident”
“The officers boarded the bus only to interact with the person they’d previously sought to question. The officers asked the passenger for identification, which he provided, then left the bus without questioning other passengers. No arrest was made,” Carpenter said in an email.
“It’s important to point out that this was not a random check of immigration status on an OC Bus, and OCTA has not been made aware of any such immigration enforcement on our buses.”
Last month, Orange County public transportation officials issued a memo to drivers telling them they have to comply with all federal and state law enforcement officers if they get pulled over.
Officials also told Voice of OC that the drivers are instructed to notify agency officials of any law enforcement activity that happens on their buses.
Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin disputed that DHS engages in racial profiling saying such deportation efforts are targeted.
“DHS enforcement operations are highly targeted, and officers do their due diligence,” McLaughlin said in a Thursday email to Voice of OC.
“Any claims that individuals have been ‘targeted’ by law enforcement because of their skin color are disgusting and categorically FALSE. These type of smears are designed to demonize and villainize our brave ICE law enforcement. This kind of garbage has led to a more than 700 percent increase in the assaults on enforcement officers,” reads the statement.
Sandra De Anda, program director of OC Rapid Response Network – an immigrant advocacy group – criticized federal agents boarding public buses.
“It’s deeply disheartening to see OCTA betray the trust of its most loyal riders—many of whom depend on public transit as their only means of transportation. First, our community members were targeted while waiting at bus stops,” De Anda said in a Thursday text message.
She also noted a switch in federal enforcement tactics.
“Now, they’re being targeted inside the buses themselves. OCTA must take immediate action to ensure rider safety and implement safeguards. Agencies like ICE and Border Patrol have been documented engaging in racial profiling, particularly against working-class residents. Our transit system should protect—not endanger—the very people it serves,” De Anda wrote.
Sarmiento’s office provided a notification that was sent to OCTA’s Board of Directors detailing what happened shortly before 7 a.m. Thursday morning.
“The ICE agent appeared to present a document to the coach operator before approaching a passenger and requesting identification. The passenger complied and the interaction was limited to that individual. The agents exited the bus without engaging other passengers and service continued without incident,” reads the notification.
When the deportation sweeps began last month, federal agents were targeting places like Home Depots, car washes and other businesses.
As the weeks carried on, federal agents began entering neighborhoods to conduct deportation sweeps.
[Read: Immigration Sweeps Hit a Santa Ana Neighborhood on Father’s Day]
On Father’s Day, a man recycling cans and bottles in the historic Latino neighborhood of Artesia Pilar in Santa Ana was arrested by federal agents.
Nearby El Salvador park was unusually quiet that day after word spread that immigration officials were active in the area.
Meanwhile, Sarmiento said the ICE raids are severely impacting daily life and the local economy.
“These tactics of fear affect our people and our economy. We have already seen a decline in ridership this year, and that reduces the dollars needed to provide service to all our communities, including youth and seniors,” he said in a Thursday statement.
“These stops are unnecessary and target law-abiding, hardworking people. I will continue working with OCTA to disseminate information to the public and ensure that riders on our system understand their rights.”
Spencer Custodio is the civic editor. You can reach him at scustodio@voiceofoc.org. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerCustodio.