Reporting by Victoria Franco and Drew Askeland, The Stockton Record
This week, protesters outside of the facility housing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Stockton were maced, pushed and escorted off the property as agents carried PepperBall launchers.
The incident took place amid the circulation of several social media videos throughout Stockton and San Joaquin County showing people identified or described as ICE agents making arrests.
At about 2 p.m. Monday, a group of protesters and activists stood outside the Stockton ICE facility at 603 San Juan Ave. in Stockton. They chanted, “We want ICE out” and “ICE out of Stockton now.” Many held signs that read, “ICE kills,” “We all bleed the same color” and “No one is illegal on stolen land.”
In the facility’s parking lot, several black SUVs and other vehicles could be seen with dark tinted windows, many without license plates. Some of those unmarked vehicles exited the area at high speeds.
Shortly after the protest began, a man who identified himself as an agent from the facility came outside and told protesters to stand to the side of the area, closest to the black gate.
A video posted to social media showed the incident.
In the video, viewers can see agents standing on one side of the fence while protesters stand on the opposite side. As one woman speaks to an agent, while remaining on her side of the fence, she is sprayed in the face with what appeared to be pepper spray or another chemical irritant.
The woman’s friend, who did not want to be named because of safety concerns, said about six other protesters, including herself, were injured in the incident. She said she was emotional while speaking because she felt that the protesters had not done anything wrong and had backed away from the area when directed.
She told The Record that she was in her vehicle when her friend and the others were maced, but the cloud of spray was so heavy that it still reached her inside the car. As she spoke, her eyes appeared red, and she said her forehead still burned from where the chemical irritant had reached her.
Roughly an hour later, ICE agents approached again.
They gave warnings to the protesters to back away from the facility, despite a previous agent telling protesters they could stand near the gate. About eight ICE agents continued to walk toward protesters asking them to move farther away. Some agents had PepperBall launchers and others video video recorded the protesters.
One protester, Jarred Wright, was observed being forcefully pushed by an agent, as he was moving as directed. Wright was recording ICE agents at the time, and the push caused his cell phone to fly from his hands.
Once the protesters had moved to an area the agents deemed acceptable, agents fired off rounds from their launchers.
About 14 minutes later, four Stockton Police Department arrived at the facility to speak with protesters. From a nearby gate an ICE agent watched.
ICE encounters in Stockton
Over the weekend, a video circulated on Facebook showing black SUVs and people, believed to be ICE agents, wearing tactical vests surrounding a white vehicle on Interstate 5 in Stockton. The video shows a person being pulled from the vehicle and forced to the ground as traffic is stopped.
The person was then detained by agents.
The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment regarding the arrest on I-5.
The arrest is the latest in a series of reported ICE arrests in San Joaquin County.
According to employees who works at the O’Reilly Auto Parts on the corner of East Harding Way and North Wilson Way in Stockton, ICE made an arrest outside the store on Oct. 27.
One employee said that they heard cars coming from both sides of the parking lot. The employee said the person being detained wasn’t trying to run from agents.
Jose Gutierrez, a manager at O’Reilly Auto Parts, said the individuals who pulled the man from his car did not identify themselves as ICE agents. However, he said he could make out the words “immigration” and “border patrol” on one of the individual’s backs.
Gutierrez said the individuals were wearing all black, with masks that covered their faces so you could “barely see their eyes.” They pulled up to O’Reilly Auto Parts in all black, brand new Nissan Rogues, he added.
Community leaders respond to ICE in Stockton
In an interview with The Stockton Record Luis Magaña, a local immigration advocate, described ICE’s presence in Stockton as “terrorism.”
“It’s a war zone against vulnerable people,” Magaña said.
Magaña said he observed some agents under the bridges at the entrance of San Joaquin General Hospital who were stopping a pregnant woman going to the facility for an appointment.
Regarding the arrest of an individual on I-5, Magaña said it is a new tactic that puts “many people in danger for accidents.”
He added, “It could be any person at any moment.”
District 4 Councilmember Mario Enríquez said in a social media post that ICE had been conducting raids in and around Stockton, targeting the community ahead of Dìa De Los Muertos and Election Day.
“Those raids are continuing as I speak,” Enríquez said. “To everyone who is scared: I hear you, your family matters, and you have rights.”
He said he was calling for a comprehensive, citywide, immigration response plan.
Enríquez said he was working with the city manager to coordinate with local law enforcement, city attorney’s and city departments to establish clear response protocols and ensure transparency.
“Our community deserves action,” he said.
Record reporter Victoria Franco covers public safety in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at vfranco@gannett.com. Support local journalism by subscribing to The Stockton Record at Subscribe to The Stockton Record.
Drew Askeland covers Stockton and San Joaquin County government issues, as well as anything else that needs reporting for the Stockton Record and USA Today Network. Reach him at daskeland@gannett.com or (530) 225-8247. Please subscribe today to support our newsroom’s commitment to public service journalism.
This article originally appeared on The Record.
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