San Jose leaders condemn ICE arrest at day laborer center by plainclothes agent

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) — San Jose leaders and local nonprofits are condemning a recent arrest of a local man by ICE.

They say agents did not properly identify themselves when conducting an operation and it leaves the community at risk.

“That’s just heartbreaking to me,” ConXión to Community Vice President Lori Ramos Chavez said. “I’m thinking about what he must be feeling. He thinks he’s coming to a safe place and look what happens to him.”

An ICE detainment was caught on camera at a San Jose nonprofit which has supported the immigrant community in the South Bay for nearly 50 years.

The San Jose Rapid Response Network says Tuesday morning, targeted immigration activity led to the arrest of a man inside of the day laborer center at ConXión to Community.

The day prior, the network says the man fled an ICE check-in office after his wife was detained – leading to a warrant to be served for his arrest.

MORE: Gov. Newsom signs bill banning most law enforcement officers from wearing masks during operations

ConXión staff couldn’t believe that men in plain clothes, showing a warrant on their phone and saying they were police officers, were in fact ICE agents there to arrest the man.

“We’ve had them come by, but never just pulled out like that,” Chavez said. “If we see them, we lock doors, pull everybody in, and not even just to keep them there, but to move them back so that they feel safer – because you see what happened.”

“It was just startling to all of us,” ConXión to Community CEO Rose Amador said. “Our staff was just devastated that one of our participants was taken like that.”

The Rapid Response Network says this sort of thing can happen anywhere. They are advising all local businesses and nonprofits to review similar safety protocols and procedures.

“Employees should know how to identify ICE agents, know when to call the Rapid Response Network, demand warrants and exercise their rights,” Socorro Montano with the SCC RRN said.

In light of recent arrests and ICE activity, city leaders remain committed to San Jose’s immigrant community and are backing it up with proposals with the safety of everyone in mind.

MORE: Bay Area grandma detained by ICE, held in Bakersfield despite compliance with immigration officials

“I’m an immigrant, this is unacceptable,” San Jose Councilmember Bien Doan said.

A group of councilmembers have released a memo calling on the city to prepare a plan of action of coordination, education and response in the community.

This joins another policy awaiting a council vote requiring law enforcement of all kinds to properly identify themselves within the city – similar to a new state policy.

All in the hopes to make residents in San Jose feel safer amid uncertainty.

“We must make sure we are coordinating with groups like the Rapid Response Network, IPEN and nonprofits to make sure that everyone is trained because it’s not about if this will happen, it’s about when,” San Jose Councilmember Peter Ortiz said.

We reached out to ICE and DHS for more information regarding the arrest, but did not heard back at the time our story aired.