Video of ICE raid in Carpinteria Shared on Social Media
Tracy Lehr
CARPINTERIA, Calif. – Residents in Carpinteria said they were surprised to see an apparent ICE raid in their town being shared on social media Monday morning, following the Fourth of July weekend.
The incident unfolded around 6:30 a.m. in the Smart & Final parking lot off Linden Avenue. Witnesses said both masked and unmasked men arrived in the lot, wearing tactical vests labeled “POLICE” and “ERO,” short for Enforcement and Removal Operations.
People immediately pulled out their phones and began recording the scene.
“I usually wake up and check my social media. I follow some Instagram accounts—that’s how I knew there was a raid here in the parking lot of Smart & Final,” said Guillermo G., a Carpinteria resident. “Seeing Latinos shopping in there… and then seeing ICE waiting for them after paying—it makes me a little nervous sometimes. I know my family is personally affected by this, so it’s very personal to me. This has been really hard on my family.”
Despite the visible federal presence, shoppers continued entering the store.
Witnesses said two individuals were taken into custody during the operation.
Some community members, reluctant to speak on camera, said the people detained “didn’t belong here.” Others expressed concern about the impact such raids could have on local businesses and the workforce.
Michael Mantalos, a Carpinteria resident, voiced his disappointment: “It’s disappointing because we were told that it was going to serve a purpose, and it seems like the purpose is just, you know, eliminate a presence that they are not comfortable with.”
Santa Barbara County Undersheriff Craig Bonner told Your News Channel that the Sheriff’s Office was not made aware of any federal agency activity in Carpinteria on Monday.
“Generally, federal agencies provide prior notice to local law enforcement to prevent operational conflicts, but that did not happen in this case,” Bonner said.
The budget bill signed into law by President Trump—dubbed the “One Big, Beautiful Bill”—includes funding for more ICE agents and bonuses, potentially signaling an increase in immigration raids along the Central Coast and across the country.
Local advocacy organizations, including La Casa de la Raza and the 805 Immigrant Coalition, are working to organize against these arrests.
“We stand firmly against the targeted arrests and the fear they bring to our neighborhoods,” said Jennifer Sanchez of La Casa de la Raza.
While some quietly support the raids, others fear their long-term impact. One thing most people seem to agree on: immigration enforcement remains one of the most divisive issues in the country this summer.
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