Assemblymember Gregg Hart (D-Santa Barbara) released the following statement on Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties:
I want to express my deep outrage and heartbreak over the recent ICE raids on agricultural operations in Carpinteria and across the Central Coast. These actions were unnecessary, harmful, and fundamentally inconsistent with the values we share as a community.
The workers targeted in these raids are not strangers — they are our neighbors. They are the people who plant, tend, and harvest the crops that sustain our local economy. They are parents, community members, and essential workers who deserve dignity and respect — not fear, intimidation, or detention.
The manner in which these raids were conducted — without advance notice or transparency with local officials — inflicted lasting trauma on families and communities. Children were left in limbo. Businesses were disrupted. Trust in law enforcement and government institutions was shaken.
The fear unleashed by these actions is not limited to those directly targeted. Immigrants across our region — whether they are undocumented, naturalized, or legal residents — are now living with the constant terror that they or their loved ones could be stopped, interrogated, or detained at gunpoint by masked agents demanding papers. This is not the United States we believe in. No one should have to live in fear simply because of where they were born or how they look.
I stand in strong solidarity with the Central Coast’s farmworkers, their families, and the growers who depend on them. I have reached out to federal authorities to demand answers and accountability, and I will continue working with state and local leaders to ensure that these unjust and damaging tactics are never repeated in our region.
I am deeply grateful to the nonprofits and community organizations across the Central Coast, such as the Immigrant Legal Defense Center and 805UndocuFund, for their unwavering support of families affected throughout the region.
This community has always stood for inclusion, decency, and compassion. These raids do not reflect who we are — and we must make that clear.
The following resources are available to help community members in need:
California Department of Justice:
(800) 952-5225 | oag.ca.gov/immigrant/resources
Santa Barbara Immigrant Legal Defense Center:
(805) 886-9136 | sbimmigrantdefense.org
805UndocuFund:
(805) 200-8471| 805undocufund.org
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Southern California:
(213) 977-9500 | aclusocal.org
Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) Immigrant Assistance Hotline
(888) 624-4752 | chirla.org
Gregg Hart represents the California Assembly's 37th Assembly District, which includes Santa Barbara, Goleta, Carpinteria, Montecito, Summerland, Buellton, Solvang, Lompoc, Guadalupe, Santa Maria, Orcutt, and Nipomo. He currently serves as the Chair of the Budget Subcommittee No. 7 on Accountability and Oversight.
CONTACT: Terra Grantham, (916) 319-2037, Terra.Grantham@asm.ca.gov