Earlier today, several vehicles belonging to the National Guard were reportedly stationed near the Home Depot in Goleta. The vehicles have since left the area and are believed to have been en route to Los Angeles.
The 805 UndocuFund told the Nexus the vehicles were there around midday for several hours. Photo courtesy of 805 Immigrant Coalition
According to an Instagram post by the 805 Immigrant Coalition, several community members reported seeing the National Guard temporarily stationed at the Home Depot located in the Camino Real Marketplace. The coalition is a network of several immigration organizations across the Central Coast.
The Nexus was unable to confirm the exact times or reason for their presence. Due to the Posse Comitatus Act, the National Guard is generally prohibited from participating in civilian law enforcement. However, Home Depot and other workplaces have been targeted for raids “in recent weeks and months,” according to KTLA 5. The National Guard may be used in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.) activity “in ‘night operations and rural interdiction,’ as well as ‘guard duty and riot control’ inside detention facilities,” according to a Department of Homeland Security memo sent in May that was obtained by the National Public Radio.
The 805 UndocuFund, a nonprofit organization also based in the Central Coast, told the Nexus the vehicles were there around midday for several hours.
I.C.E. raids in Los Angeles and Paramount have led to protests since Friday. Last night, President Donald Trump signed a memorandum to deploy 2,000 National Guardsmen to protests in Los Angeles concerning I.C.E. raids. It is the first time since 1965 that a U.S. president has mobilized the National Guard without a state requesting or consenting to the action.
According to California Governor Gavin Newsom, there were “no unmet law enforcement needs” before the National Guard was deployed.
“That move is purposefully inflammatory and will only escalate tensions,” Newsom said in a statement. “This is the wrong mission and will erode public trust.”
The Nexus will continue reporting on this issue as more information becomes available.
