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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers reportedly detained the parent of an Allan Hancock College student at the Santa Maria campus on Monday morning.
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According to a Monday afternoon statement from the college, ICE officers arrived on campus and detained the individual around 9:45 a.m. in one of the college’s parking lots. Allan Hancock did not assist ICE with the enforcement action and was not notified that ICE would be on campus, the statement said.
“Allan Hancock College strongly condemns immigration enforcement actions that create fear and uncertainty for our students and their families,” the release said. “Our campuses should be places where every student can learn, grow and pursue their goals without fear.”
The college said it does not participate in federal immigration enforcement investigations unless required to do so by law, and said its police department does not “detain, question or arrest” people based on their immigration status.
Student records are also kept confidential unless the college is authorized to release them, or is required to do so by law, the statement said.
The college said it remained “united in supporting our undocumented students and students from mixed-status families” following the incident.
“Allan Hancock College remains steadfast in our commitment to providing a safe, welcoming and supportive learning environment for all students, regardless of their immigration status or that of their family members,” the college said.
Allan Hancock directed students and other community members needing support to its AIM to Dream Center, which supports students who are or have family members who are undocumented, and to the college’s Know Your Rights website.
The Tribune reached out to ICE for further details about the incident but did not immediately receive a response.
Community reacts to ICE activity on Central Coast
Santa Maria Councilmember Gloria Soto organized a news conference on campus on Monday afternoon, and condemned the immigration enforcement action on social media.
“Today, ICE detained a member of our community at Allan Hancock College,” she wrote on Facebook. “Our schools should be places of learning, not fear or anxiety.”
She continued: “I continue to call on my colleagues on the City Council to stop standing on the sidelines and take action. We need ICE out of the 805.”
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Soto’s office also livestreamed the news conference on her Facebook as well. The video showed community members gathered with signs protesting ICE’s presence on the Central Coast, and with large signs depicting monarch butterflies.
During the demonstration, the student affected by Monday’s ICE actions spoke to the crowd.
“My dad was kidnapped by ICE today,” the student said. “ … My dad was just trying to drop me off. My dad is a hardworking man.”
Soto also spoke during the event, echoing and adding to her social media comments from earlier in the day.
She claimed that the man detained at Allan Hancock was one of at least 16 people reportedly detained by immigration officers in Santa Maria on Monday. Noozhawk also reported that ICE agents had been spotted in the Santa Maria and Guadalupe areas throughout Monday morning, citing information from 805UndocuFund.
“Those are families who woke up this morning together,” she said, “and who will go to sleep tonight not knowing what’s coming next.”
State Sen. Monique Limón, who serves as Senate President pro Tempore and represents District 21 covering Santa Barbara, Ventura, and San Luis Obispo counties, also issued a statement about the incident Monday afternoon.
“I am deeply disturbed to learn that there has been recent ICE activity on the Santa Maria Allan Hancock campus,” she wrote. “Our college campuses are meant to make our students feel safe, supported and valued.”
The statement continued: “Unfortunately, today a family has been torn apart, and a student has been ripped away from their parent. These raids instill fear in our students, cause chaos, and result in broken trust and effectiveness between the community and those charged to keep us safe.”
This story was originally published October 5, 2026 at 4:09 PM with the headline “ICE detains parent at Central Coast community college, officials say.”
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