10 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY OCTOBER 29-NOVEMBER 4, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com NEWS About 50 people, including legal observers, immigration lawyers, protesters and politicians gathered outside of the Monterey County Jail’s sallyport gate on Tuesday, Oct. 27 where unmarked vehicles were parked, lining a gravel area. Some federal officers’ uniforms had “ICE” lettering, for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “ICE is not wanted here. ICE is here to intimidate,” says Chris Barrera, president of LULAC Council #2055. The encounter grew heated toward the end as about 30 protesters drew closer to the federal officers’ vehicles, with some grabbing rocks and throwing them at the vehicles as they drove away toward Constitution Boulevard. The protest featured honking horns and chants of “Fuck ICE.” According to Solidarity Network Monterey County Rapid Response, one person was detained by ICE while leaving a health clinic on the adjacent County of Monterey campus at about 4:30pm on Oct. 27. Last month, the Board of Supervisors adopted a policy prohibiting County property from being used for civil immigration enforcement activity. At 5:40pm on Oct. 27, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office announced the jail was on lockdown, meaning no inmates would be released. “The Monterey County Jail is not accepting any new bookings, all inmate releases have been temporarily suspended, and the facility is closed to all public visitation, with the exception of attorneys visiting their clients,” the Sheriff’s Office said. Eventually, facing the pressure of the protesters on scene and the jail lockdown, ICE agents left the area at about 6:30pm on Tuesday night. Ice Cold Monterey County Jail goes into lockdown as protesters challenge ICE officers outside. By Celia Jiménez Fans whirred inside the Seaside social services building to block out the heat as Monterey County residents continued to drop in for the last few days of its services until its closure. County officials decided to shutter the building due to a $3.9 million price tag to fix the building’s noncompliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, which was reported in a June 2025 audit. While plans have been in the works for years to improve or replace the building, the closure of the current one means that it will move out of its central hub in Seaside and to a satellite office in Marina. The last day for the Seaside office is Friday, Oct. 30, and operations will start in Marina (at 2620 1st Ave.) on Nov. 2. “This location is such a staple in the community,” says Rose DeFranco, deputy director of the community benefits branch. “There’s a connection factor where people do come in because they know our staff well.” Jose Canales, a five-year Monterey resident waiting outside the building, says he’s been here about 15 times before, and is here on a recent day to maintain Medi-Cal for his mother-in-law. They also visited to bring paperwork to maintain benefits for his wife. His family got used to coming to the Seaside location, and the closure will extend their travel time. Interacting face-to-face with an actual human being is what Seaside resident Albert Palmero prefers—it’s why he is also at the social services building. He estimates he has come to the office 20 times in the last 15 years. County guidance has encouraged people to apply for and upkeep their benefits online. However, Canales and Palmero both note they don’t have much access to the internet. People often come to the building to apply for CalWorks, CalFresh, and sometimes they come in with questions about their paperwork or drop off documents, according to DeFranco. Social Services staff see on average 120-150 clients per day, primarily residents of the Monterey Peninsula, DeFranco says. (She emphasizes that Monterey County residents can visit any social services location.) County Supervisor Wendy Root Askew says maintaining a center in Seaside is a county priority. The Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 in January to rebuild the building. Officials are still looking for a temporary location in Seaside and concurrently are pursuing plans for revamping the existing site with a building that may also include the Seaside library. Root Askew recalls being a customer herself years ago to file paperwork when she had informal custody of her cousin. It was cramped, crowded and the bathrooms were dilapidated, she recalls. “It wasn’t a dignified place,” she says. “It didn’t feel good to sit in that office.” Despite the dilapidation of the building, it still became a hub for people, whether they needed to check in on their benefits, or for homeless residents to charge their phone. “The feeling that it’s a known place where you can go and see some people that are going to be friendly, there are parts we can’t duplicate because we’ve been part of this community for so long,” DeFranco says. The 11,000-square-foot County Social Services building on Broadway in Seaside will close after business hours on Friday, Oct. 30. On the Move Residents are feeling the impending loss of Monterey County’s social services building in Seaside. By Chrissa Olson Lupe Carreon of Salinas (left) confronts an ICE officer outside the Monterey County Jail on Tuesday, Oct. 27. ICE officers left after several hours around 6:30pm following protest activity. “This location is such a staple in the community.” DANIEL DREIFUSS NIC COURY
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