Local authorities in Sunnyside confirm ICE operations in city

City officials in Sunnyside, Washington, confirmed that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are conducting operations in the city.

On Monday, a press conference was held by local authorities to discuss concerns about immigration enforcement operations.

Officials in Sunnyside said they learned about the operations through community calls and social media posts. Several of those posts spread on Sunday. One shows a video of a family’s truck pulling over. Then, the driver interacts with a person wearing a vest labeled “police ERO.” 

Another video shows people with similar vests appear to detain two people at a Fiesta Foods grocery store parking lot in Sunnyside.

According to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement website, ERO stands for Enforcement and Removal Operations. ERO is an ICE division.

“… It’s emotional for me because when I see that, I see my mom, I see a tia, I see a prima, I see all of us,” said Vicky Frausto, a city council member in Sunnyside.

Mike Gonzalez, Sunnyside’s city manager, said he was informed these are targeted operations.

Robert Layman, Sunnyside’s police chief, said the presence of people wearing police ERO vests confused the community.

“They don’t notify us ahead of time and operate independently. We have no role in their operations and our officers do not carry a federal commission,” he said. He emphasized that state law does not allow local police to work with ICE or provide them with information.

Layman said he called the FBI, which connected him to a member of Homeland Security Investigations, an ICE branch.

“He confirmed, ‘Yes, that’s us’,” Layman said.

According to the Washington Mutual Aid Peace Officers Powers Act, “It is not the primary purpose of state and local law enforcement agencies or school resource officers to enforce civil federal immigration law.”

The Keep Washington Working Act also prohibits local law enforcement agencies from asking for or collecting this information “unless there is a connection between that information and an investigation into a violation of state or local criminal law,” mentions the Washington State Office of the Attorney General website.

In an interview last week, Gonzalez emphasized that the city’s police department is focused on keeping the community safe in matters under its jurisdiction.

“We don’t care if you’re documented, undocumented. If you have committed a crime … and you legally have a warrant for your arrest, we’re going to come after (you). We’re keeping everybody safe,” Gonzalez said.

Lorena Avalos, with United Farm Workers, UFW, said the two people who appeared in the video of the Latino grocery store parking lot were Peruvian nationals and farmworkers.

The owner of a local store, who asked not to be recorded, provided the same information.

“People are concerned about what is happening. It is sad to see the separation of families. Many moms leave their children, which is worrisome because some families have no one to leave them with. It is difficult,” said another community member in Spanish, who identified himself as Miguel.

During the meeting, advocates from different organizations offered their support with information resources and asked city officials to state their positions.

“We want to see not just the community prosper, but everybody in it … and living in fear is not a good way to prosper. We want to make sure that you are not living in fear in Sunnyside,” Sunnyside mayor Dean Broersma said.