Immigrant rights advocates accuse Ontario Police of aiding ICE arrests
Immigrant rights advocates are accusing Ontario police of helping U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) made arrests outside a Stater Bros. grocery store on Monday, which they say is in violation of California law.
“What we saw was an injustice,” said Yazmin Mercado, a legal representative with the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice (IC4IJ). “The police were here collaborating with ICE and other federal agencies when they're not supposed to. There's laws that they're supposed to be following.”
The California Values Act largely prohibits local law enforcement agencies from using resources to assist in immigration enforcement.
According to eyewitnesses, ICE and FBI agents entered the Stater Bros. store at San Antonio Avenue and West Holt Boulevard around 10 a.m. Videos shared on social media show officers exiting the store’s employee-only area and arresting one person down the street. The Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice says three people were arrested, including one U.S. citizen.
Luis Suarez, a business owner in Ontario and a volunteer with IC4IJ’s Rapid Response Network, said he responded once he heard about the Stater Bros operation. Suarez says community members are growing increasingly anxious and frustrated about ongoing enforcement actions.
“We're tired of week after week seeing enforcement operations in our community, seeing our family members, seeing our neighbors being attacked and essentially being detained,” Suarez said.
In a statement, ICE said officers attempted to arrest Carlos Gutierrez Caroenas, who is charged with domestic battery and driving with a suspended license. The agency said Gutierrez threw hot coffee at an officer before fleeing into the store. ICE alleges that store employees prevented officers from searching a restroom, which allowed Gutierrez to escape.
The agency said Gutierrez had previously entered the U.S. illegally multiple times, including two failed entry attempts in 1997 and 1999. ICE alleges he successfully reentered the country a third time on an unknown date and location.
The Ontario Police Department confirmed that officers responded to a reported assault on a federal law enforcement officer near the 500 block of West Holt Boulevard.
“Upon arrival, our officers confirmed that the individuals involved were federal agents acting in an official capacity as they attempted to apprehend a wanted individual,” reads a prepared statement. “This represented the entirety of our department’s role in the situation.”
Tensions between residents and city officials have escalated in recent weeks amid increased immigration enforcement. Earlier this month, hundreds of residents packed a city council meeting to criticize Mayor Paul Leon for comments they called dismissive and insensitive toward immigrant communities and others concerned about ICE’s presence
Anthony Victoria
Anthony Victoria
Editorial Team