At this point, can we all agree that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is shady?
ICE officers have been caught lying as part of court cases—alleging hostile behavior from detainees as a way of justifying the outsized force they use during “enforcement operations.” Nobody believes you anymore, ICE.
Anyone who’s watched a video of one of these “operations” knows the force that ICE uses is incredibly aggressive. The agency’s tactics have been openly criticized by other law enforcement officers.
Which is why it’s no surprise that the agency’s response to questions about how a 20-year-old Santa Maria resident who was minding his own business ended up black and blue is this: “When the individual resisted officers, refused lawful commands, they relied on their training to safely control the situation until they could confirm his identity, whereupon he was released. Claims that that the individual suffered broken bones are FALSE.”
Weird then that he had to have surgery for a broken wrist just hours after ICE picked him up off the street, wrenched his hands into handcuffs, and threw him into the back of an ICE vehicle.
When he arrived at Santa Maria High School, where he attends adult school as a person with disabilities, school administrators immediately knew something was wrong and called an ambulance. His group home mom, Jaime Staine, thought he had been mugged while walking to school.
“There’s nothing that could have caused [ICE] to be aggressive to him, because he’s not in that capacity to disrespect them,” she said. “Erik’s not aggressive. … He’s so shy. … He’s verbal but doesn’t speak clearly.
Erik Zepeda was targeted by ICE on Oct. 21 because he apparently “matched” the description of a wanted “criminal illegal alien target.” Which is a convenient thing to say. The agency didn’t elaborate on who the target was or share a picture.
In the days that have followed, every progressive politician in Santa Barbara County has issued their own “statement” about the incident, people have protested ICE in front of Santa Maria City Hall, media outlets have published many news stories about it, and advocacy organizations have encouraged outrage and protest.
I can’t help but feel for Zepeda, his group home mom, and others in the 20-year-old’s orbit. Not just because of the ICE incident, which shouldn’t have happened in the first place. The accidental thrust into the spotlight also bugs me.
His becomes a name dropped in the statements of the Gloria Sotos and Salud Carbajals of the world. Clickbait for advocacy organizations. Ammunition in a political game. Something to either rally behind or brush aside.
After the frenzy moves on, Zepeda will still be attempting to recover. His wrist. His mental state. His trust in the world. It will never be the same. All because of politics gone rogue. Don’t forget him.
“He looks so lost. He doesn’t look like himself,” Staine said. “It’s really taking a mental toll on him. It’s heartbreaking for all of us to see him like that.”
It’s terrible, and it should motivate you to vote. But it should also motivate you to try to create a community that bridges the political divide, that ensures we see one another as humans rather than the other.
The canary is so bummed. Send motivation to canary@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in October 29 – November 5, 2026.
