Suspicious U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents rushed into a secure section of the San Luis Obispo County Jail to detain an inmate on Sunday — and jail staff intervened, witnesses said.
As 40 protesters from the nonprofit organization Indivisible gathered at the corner of Highway 1 and Kansas Avenue at 9 a.m. to protest ICE, three familiar vehicles drove into the jail’s parking lot.
805 UndocuFund volunteers have seen those vehicles at the scene of ICE operations and entering and exiting the Santa Maria ICE facility, volunteers told The Tribune. ICE did not respond to a request for comment about the incident.
According to protesters at the scene, four men wearing face masks, sunglasses and vests got out of the vehicle shouting “police”. They filed into the jail lobby at 9:15 a.m. with a handful of protesters and 805 UndocuFund rapid responders.
A protester named Dale and a rapid responder named CJ said they both entered the lobby with ICE agents. Dale and CJ declined to share their last names with the Tribune for fear of retaliation.
ICE agents stood near the large, blue jail release door, which separates the jail from the lobby, Dale told the Tribune.
Dale said she heard the door “click” and saw an inmate prepare to exit.
“When that blue door is about to open, and we’re not sure who’s going to come out of that door — a brown person or a white person — when it goes up,” she said.
Dale said she has seen ICE agents treat white people differently than people of color. If a white person walks out of jail, the officers step aside to let them go. If a person of color gets out of jail, ICE hits them, she said.
When the jail doors were opened, protesters shouted “La migra está aquí,” or “ICE is here,” to warn the inmate.
Then, the man walked into the lobby, and officers handcuffed him without producing a warrant or identifying himself, Dale said. Officers then took her to a vehicle in the parking lot and locked the door, she said.
The Chief Justice echoed Dale’s statement.
“It’s heartbreaking,” Dale told The Tribune. “It seems cruel. It angers me that we allow this to happen without due process, without a warrant, in a public place under the sheriff’s nose.”
ICE agents grab protester Sue M and push her through a prison release gate on December 14, 2025.
Suspicious ICE agent shoves protester
The three officers then returned to the lobby, where about 20 protesters from Indivisible and 805 UndocuFund had gathered, witnesses told the Tribune.
Tensions rose in the room as officers and activists argued with each other, Indivisible protester Sue M said. He declined to share his full name for fear of retaliation.
Sue and CJ stationed themselves next to the jail’s release gates with signs saying “ICE está en la carcel,” meaning “ICE is in jail.” The sign also included UndocuFund’s rapid response hotline number of 805, 805-870-8855.
The couple said they planned to flash their signs at the inmate before entering the lobby as a warning.
The officers then told Sue to step away from the door if it opened, and she said she told them to. She heard the inner door click and prepared to walk away, but two officers grabbed her arm and another pushed her back — causing her to stumble forward, she said.
The presiding judge said the officers ordered her to get out of the way, and she said, “Yes, I’m moving,” and started walking. An officer then pushed her, she said.
“He’s got a gun, pepper spray, taser, baton — and I’m a 4-foot-11 girl,” Chief Justice said. “I don’t know why he needs to do that.”
Then, a white man walked out the door on a prison release. According to CJ, Dale, and Sue, the officers stepped aside so they could exit the lobby. It happened twice, they said.
On December 14, 2025, protester Sue M held a sign in the jail lobby to warn inmates that ICE agents were waiting there.
Suspicious ICE agents flee to a secure part of the jail
At 10:30 a.m. the interior door “clicked” once more, and protesters shouted “ICE está aqui” as the door opened, a video showed.
805 UndocuFund shared the video with the Tribune to confirm the story, but the Tribune will not publish the video.
Protect the inmate’s identity.
Two suspicious ICE agents immediately entered the secure portion of the jail where the inmate was standing. The inmate, who is not white, started walking back, then the agents grabbed him and pressed him against a wall, the video showed.
The prison staff then placed themselves between the officers and the prisoners.
The officers returned to the lobby, and jail staff closed the blue door without leaving the jail.
Eventually, the suspected ICE agents left the jail, according to CJ, Del and Sue.
The sheriff’s office is investigating the incident, agency spokesman Tony Cipolla said Tuesday.
“It is our understanding that there was a confrontation between protesters and ICE agents in the lobby and we are investigating what happened,” he said in a statement. “At this time, we have no further comment until we receive more information about the incident.”
