With federal immigration agents accused of using aggressive tactics against the public, local law enforcement agencies are increasingly finding themselves caught in the middle. The latest example comes from El Monte, where the police department is under fire from some residents for failing to intervene after immigration agents smashed a woman’s car window.
Maria Santay says she was filming ICE on a livestream when the agents surrounded her car and broke her window. Santay, a U.S. citizen, was taken into custody but later released.
A video of the January 30 incident released by the El Monte Police Department shows local police did not assist ICE, as some initial rumors had claimed. But officers did not intervene to protect Santay either – a fact that has incensed some El Monte activists.
Protesters who showed up at Wednesday’s City Council meeting lambasted both city leaders and members of El Monte PD for failing to protect residents. The police department says its officers cannot legally interfere with a federal arrest.
Mayor Jessica Ancona apologized to Santay for her ordeal and agreed that the city should do more to protect the public from ICE/BPD tactics. What that would entail is unclear.
See also:
Are Alhambra Police Cooperating With ICE? Review Launched After Viral Video.