Day laborers in front of Home Depots in Anaheim and Garden Grove, car wash employees in Santa Ana.
These are just some of the people caught up in recent federal deportation sweeps, according to local activists.
The continued sweeps come after a federal judge last month ordered a halt to roving deportation efforts based on race, ethnicity, language spoken and type of employment. The judge also ordered detainees be given access to legal representation.
[Read: Federal Judge Orders Immigration Agents to Halt Stops Based on Race]
Recent sweeps are prompting questions about whether federal agencies – like ICE and Customs and Border Patrol – are violating the court order.
Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken criticized the recent enforcement actions, hinting that the federal agencies could be violating the court order.
“Targeting people based on their job, skin color or knowing Spanish violates the TRO (temporary restraining order). These are hard-working men that contribute to our community. On top of intimidating Anaheim families, this administration’s ‘War on Parking Lots’ is harming our local and small business economy,” Aitken said in a Tuesday text message.
Last week, other elected officials and community leaders also noted the economic fallout of the deportation sweeps.
[Read: Orange County Feels Economic Fallout of ICE Raids]
Department of Homeland Security Officials didn’t respond to questions on Tuesday.
Anaheim city officials – who post daily updates about immigration enforcement activity online – are reporting a recent uptick across their city.
“The weekend saw the most significant and disruptive enforcement in weeks in Anaheim. Euclid Car Wash at Euclid Street near La Palma Avenue saw enforcement around midday Saturday,” reads a Tuesday update from Anaheim, noting up to four SUVs came to the car wash and blocked driveways.
“A crowd gathered, and Border Patrol and some other agents not immediately identifiable deployed what appeared to be a crowd control smoke canister before detaining one person, a U.S. citizen bystander, and no car wash employees. This was the third time this car wash has seen activity since July 3,” reads the update.
That’s not the only Anaheim business that’s been targeted multiple times.
Officials say its “believed three day laborers” were detained at the Home Depot on Brookhurst Street – noting federal immigration officials have been there at least 6 times since the deportation sweeps began in early June.
“Anaheim is seeing targeted enforcement and larger activity since a temporary restraining order went into effect,” reads the update.
Now, a coalition of local activists are ringing alarm bells about the return of visible immigration enforcement activity.
“As part of the Trump administration’s war on immigrants and dissent, federal and local agencies have unleashed a coordinated campaign of repression across Los Angeles, Orange County, and the Inland Empire. Over the last few weeks hundreds have been abducted in ICE raids,” reads a news release from the Orange County Community Self Defense Coalition.
Harbor Institute Executive Director Carlos Perea – part of the coalition – estimates roughly three dozen people have been caught up in the recent deportation efforts throughout Orange County over the past week.
“Some of the cities targeted were Anaheim, Huntington Beach and right here in this parking lot in Garden Grove,” Perea said at a Tuesday afternoon news conference at the Garden Grove Home Depot.
Coalition members were also signing people up for community patrol training Tuesday night, which aims to give communities a heads up that federal agents are nearby conducting immigration enforcement activities.
It’s an approach other organizations have taken, like the Orange County Rapid Response Network and religious organizations.
[Read: Orange County Grapples With Federal Occupation]
In an interview after the news conference, Garden Grove Unified School District Board Trustee Walter Muneton said a parent was detained by federal agents at a nearby elementary school shortly before 8 a.m. on Tuesday.
He noted the man is a U.S. citizen and that it was a case of “mistaken identity” – leading to the parent being detained for roughly an hour.
Muneton said the elementary school went on a lockdown because the detention happened “within feet” of the school, leading to numerous school officials being deployed to the elementary school – counselors, therapists and other support staff.
“We were able to assemble all of our resources in a short amount of time,” he said, noting that word spread throughout the district and he began getting calls from other schools about potential immigration enforcement.
Muneton also said Garden Grove City Council members should create some type of mutual aid network and resource page – similar to what the school district has implemented.
“The district cannot take care of this crisis on its own,” he said. “We need all hands on deck. My ask would be to come to the table with us.”
Meanwhile, Anaheim and Santa Ana have voted to join the federal lawsuit spearheaded by the ACLU on behalf of five people arrested by federal immigration agents in Los Angeles County.
Irvine City Council members decided to file an amicus brief – a court document supporting the ACLU’s lawsuit.
Costa Mesa City Council members are expected to consider joining the lawsuit at an upcoming council meeting.
During Tuesday’s news conference, Perea criticized Republican Representatives and Senators for the recent massive funding increase to the Department of Homeland Security to beef up deportation efforts.
He also took aim at national Democrats.
“Shame on the Democratic Party for allowing ICE to continue to build this deportation machine that they themselves built under the Obama Administration,” Perea said.
“This increase in budget has been consistent over the last two decades,” he said. “We’re going to turn up the heat not just on Republicans, but on Democrats alike. Orange County is a purple county and we’re not going to let no Democrat off the hook.”
Editor’s note: Ashleigh Aitken’s father, Wylie Aitken, chairs Voice of OC’s board of directors.
Spencer Custodio is the civic editor. You can reach him at scustodio@voiceofoc.org. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerCustodio.