Families on the San Mateo coast got a letter from their school district Friday morning confirming what many had already heard: federal immigration agents were in Half Moon Bay.
Cabrillo Unified School District told parents that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were present in the community and assured them that students were protected, ABC7 reported. The letter came a day after a confirmed ICE arrest of a father near a school in Richmond, where West Contra Costa Unified said Friday's attendance fell compared with other days before three-day weekends.
What schools can and can't allow
West Contra Costa Unified spokesperson Liz Sanders told ABC7 that immigration officers cannot enter a school facility without a valid court order, judicial warrant or subpoena, and that staff know those rules. Cabrillo Unified's own immigration policy says the district does not share student information with immigration authorities without parental consent, a court order or a judicial subpoena.
Reports of a statewide operation
The coastal activity comes amid reports of a larger crackdown in California. The Washington Examiner, citing unnamed sources, reported that ICE launched an effort called "Operation Safe California" and that agents were told to arrest undocumented immigrants whether or not they have criminal records, NBC Bay Area reported. The Department of Homeland Security has neither confirmed nor denied a California-specific operation. It acknowledged arrest goals but said there are no quotas, and told ABC7 that it enforces the law across the country, including in California.
Gov. Gavin Newsom responded on X, accusing President Trump of using deportations to scare communities away from voting. University of San Francisco law professor Bill Hing told ABC7 he believes the administration wants to make an example of California before the election.
Advocates: prepare, don't panic
Immigrant support group SIREN told NBC Bay Area that the region has not seen activity on the scale of the Central Valley, where the United Farm Workers reported 60 arrests in a single day. Groups including the Santa Clara County Rapid Response Network are urging people to save their local rapid response hotline, carry know-your-rights cards and not answer agents' questions. The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area warned that a fast scale-up raises the risk of mistaken arrests.