Press Releases

On Friday, August 22, U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24) conducted an oversight visit to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing facility in Santa Maria to assess conditions and convey concerns raised by constituents regarding ICE operations on the Central Coast. During the visit, Carbajal toured the facility and engaged directly with ICE officials, raising critical questions about the well-being of the individuals detained at the facility. He inquired about access to adequate food and water, availability of legal counsel, and the process for medical evaluations. The inspection was part of the Congressman’s ongoing commitment to holding ICE officials accountable.

“Residents across the Central Coast have voiced serious concerns about ICE’s activities in our community,” said Rep. Carbajal. “As their representative in Congress, I conducted an inspection of the Santa Maria ICE facility as part of my oversight responsibilities. I met with facility officials to directly raise the issues my constituents have been calling and writing to me about. While our conversation was productive, this is by no means a ‘one-and-done’ visitation. As long as ICE continues to pursue aggressive tactics in our community, I will continue to demand answers and push for accountability to ensure that detainees are treated fairly and afforded their full constitutional rights.”

The Santa Maria ICE processing facility is where individuals taken into custody are processed for potential immigration violations. These centers handle individuals who may be subject to deportation, are awaiting immigration court proceedings, or are being held for other immigration-related reasons, such as during targeted operations.

Carbajal is a leader in Congress in pushing for commonsense immigration reform and holding federal immigration enforcement officers accountable to the communities they serve.

In June 2025, Carbajal co-sponsored the No Secret Police Act, which would require law enforcement officers and agents of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) engaged in border security and civil immigration enforcement to clearly display identification and insignia when detaining or arresting individuals and to ban them from using home-made, non-tactical masks.  

In July 2025, Carbajal co-led the introduction of the bipartisan Dignity Act, a bipartisan bill that would introduce reforms into our country’s immigration system. The bill includes commonsense reforms to legal status and protections for undocumented immigrants, border security investments, and improved asylum and visa processes.

In the same month, Carbajal reintroduced the Fight for the American Dream Act, legislation that allows participants of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) program to serve in the United States military and provides them a pathway toward U.S. citizenship after their service.

In June 2025, Carbajal introduced the Protect Patriot Parents Act, which would make parents of U.S. military servicemembers eligible for Lawful Permanent Resident status, preventing potential deportations or separations of military families.

Carbajal is also a co-sponsor of the bipartisan Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which establishes a program for agricultural workers in the United States to earn legal status through continued agricultural employment and contributions to the U.S. agricultural economy.