ICE operation at Monterey County Jail draws protesters as facility locks down
Editorial illustration — Press Pass USAFederal immigration agents launched a targeted operation at the Monterey County Jail in Salinas on Tuesday, prompting the Sheriff's Office to lock down the facility, suspend new bookings and inmate releases, and close its doors to public visitors, while about 50 protesters gathered outside its gates.
A person identifying themself as an ICE operative told local station KSBW that agents were conducting a targeted operation involving people at the jail. Officials confirmed five individuals were arrested by ICE, according to the New York Post's account of KSBW's reporting. Officials did not disclose who was targeted.
The Monterey County Sheriff's Office announced the lockdown at 5:40 p.m. as a precaution, saying it was taking temporary measures to ensure everyone's safety. Attorneys meeting with clients were still allowed inside. The lockdown followed two days of reported ICE activity around the jail and the nearby Natividad Medical Center, according to the Monterey County Weekly, which also reported that two people were detained in Seaside on Sunday, October 25.
Outside the jail's sallyport gate, protesters, legal observers and local politicians gathered as unmarked vehicles lined a gravel area. The encounter grew heated toward the end, the Weekly reported, as some protesters threw rocks at federal vehicles leaving the area. Agents left around 6:30 p.m. A tense exchange was also reported between Monterey County Supervisor Wendy Root Askew and an ICE agent over the jail's decision to pause releases; Askew said the county would not release anyone at a location where ICE was present. The Sheriff's Office said federal agencies are not required to notify it before independent enforcement operations in its jurisdiction.
Sources: New York Post (Oct 27, 2026), reporting KSBW; Monterey County Now / Monterey County Weekly (Oct 27, 2026).
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