A protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement took place in Santa Maria Tuesday.
A couple dozen people gathered in front of the I.C.E. facility in Santa Maria to protest against the treatment of people who have been detained, deported, and who have died in custody.
They say they want I.C.E. to be abolished and another government agency created in its place that will treat people humanely.
"I feel like I.C.E. is treating people inhumanely," said Santa Maria resident Ivan Lopez. "When you stand outside a Vallarta, when you stand outside of FoodMaxx and you're kinda poaching, trying to find people, even if it was years ago, people don't forget and I feel like it's a way of discriminating against Latinos."
A small number of law enforcement was visible at the protest, and the parking lot of the I.C.E. facility on Century St. was blocked off with caution tape to prevent the protesters from entering.
