ENCINITAS, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — A video capturing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arresting a parent near an elementary school in Encinitas has stirred concern throughout the North County area.
The arrest took place on Wednesday morning during the time students are dropped off at school, just two blocks away from Park Dale Lane Elementary School. ICE and ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) agents were involved in taking a man into custody.
Jessie Conn, a parent in the Encinitas Union School District, described the arrest occurring near a local school as a heartbreaking event for the family affected. She witnessed the incident while on her way to work and paused to investigate the situation.
“The crossing guard that stands here was told [by ICE] to divert children around this mayhem that was happening,” she recounted.
Conn said the man’s apparent wife showed up to the scene with their child, and that’s when she decided to step in.
“I took her child so that she could be the best wife and parent that she could be at that time,” Conn continued.
Encinitas Union School District Superintendent Andrée Grey informed families about the arrest, noting the fear and trauma it caused.
“This incident was witnesses by family, community members, staff and students, causing fear and trauma across out district,” she stated.
Following the event, community members, even those from areas beyond Encinitas, came together to demand action. This included John Bachelor from Poway, who referred to the incident as a dramatic event.
“It’s dramatic enough for those involved,” he told FOX 5/KUSI. “Even more so for a child seeing it happen to their parents, worrying about what will happen to them.”
As for the reason for the arrest, ICE reported that the man was undocumented and had a deportation order from 2017.
State Senator Catherine Blakespear denounced the occurrence, saying, “It just should not be happening. It’s so cruel and inhumane. Detaining people during drop-off times or near a school like that — to me, it appears they are truly targeting these individuals.”
Meanwhile, the Encinitas City Council added the incident as an emergency item for discussion to explore possible responses. As it stands, the council’s next steps include:
- Submitting a Freedom of Information Act to document ICE operations in Encinitas
- Exploring how to establish safe zones
- Exploring joining lawsuits challenging ICE operations
- Forming a community communications group (text chain)
- Sending letters to federal agencies protesting actions
- Requesting federal partners to be present to respond to questions from city and community
- Investigating ability to limit mask wearing by ICE
- Exploring other legal mechanisms available to the city
This comes as the arrest has led to calls for action from local leaders and community members, highlighting concerns over immigration enforcement near schools.
FOX 5/KUSI’s Jennifer Franco contributed to this report.
All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KSWB. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KSWB staff before being published.
