On June 18, the Robles Ortega family woke up at 6 a.m. to shattered windows and loud noises.
A now-viral video shows their Oceanside apartment surrounded by uniformed and armed immigration agents.
"They threw two flash grenades in here. They flew the drone in here, broke windows, and they were not saying who they were. We didn't know who it actually was. We were thinking it was ICE. Well, we were correct," said 17-year-old Kevin Robles.
Immigration agents made their way inside the home Robles shares with his mom, dad, and 14-year-old sister.
"I was the first one to get taken out. They just grabbed me, cuffed me, and took me out. Same thing with my sister, my dad and my mom. I didn't get to see a warrant," he said.
Robles and his sister were both handcuffed, despite being underage and U.S. citizens. After neighbors intervened and informed agents of their age and status, the minors were let go.
But Robles’ mom and dad were not.
"It was something very ... hard for me to process. Knowing that both of my parents were taken. I didn't even get to say 'bye' ... not even one word. All they said was, 'I love you.' That was the last thing," Robles recalls.
Robles says the warrant they eventually got showed agents were looking for his father, Arnoldo Robles.
Immigration agents ended up taking his mother, Angelica Ortega, as well.
Both had been in the U.S. for over 15 years, but without legal status.
Court records show Arnoldo was convicted for a DUI in 2023, but it is unclear if that is what led to the detention warrant.
KPBS reached out to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for details of the arrest and have not heard back.
"We're more than just neighbors. We're like family. They help us, we help them," said Ada Rocha, a neighbor who witnessed the arrest.
She said many neighbors and children were scared of what was going on.
She said she questioned agents about measures they took to detain the family. "I said, 'Why are you guys going to the extreme? If you guys are just executing a warrant, why are you guys acting like, there's some murderers there or like drug dealers or something worse. Just do what you're going to do without all the excessiveness,'" she recalled.
Rocha says the events have left the community in fear, and a family in pieces.
"It just breaks me that, like Kevin said, now he has to be an adult," Rocha said. "It's summer, and instead of them thinking, 'Oh, I'm going to go with my friends here or go out and have fun,' now he has to think about, 'I need to provide for my little sister.'"
With the White House pushing for mass deportations, fear and uncertainty are growing in the communities of San Diego and Imperial counties. Misinformation is everywhere, and knowing the law and your rights is crucial. Here are some resources to help you stay informed and prepared.
If ICE or the police approach you at your home, work or school, there are steps you can take to protect yourself and your family. Here are some tips from the American Civil Liberties Union.
See more information at the ACLU’s website.
- What to do when the police or ICE arrive:
- Stay calm and keep the door closed. Opening the door does not give officers or agents permission to come inside, but it is safer to speak to them through the door.
- Ask if they are immigration agents and what they are there for.
- Ask the agent or officer to show you a badge or identification through the window or peephole.
- Ask if they have a warrant signed by a judge. If they say they do, ask them to slide it under the door or hold it up to a window so you can inspect it.
- Don’t lie or produce any false documents. Don’t sign anything without speaking with a lawyer first.
- Do not open your door unless ICE shows you a judicial search or arrest warrant naming a person in your residence and/or areas to be searched at your address. If police have such a warrant, they are legally allowed to enter the home of the person on the warrant if they believe that person is inside. But a warrant of removal/deportation (Form I-205) does not allow officers to enter a home without consent. If they don’t produce the appropriate warrant, keep the door closed. State: “I do not consent to your entry.”
- If agents force their way in, do not resist. If you wish to exercise your rights, state: “I do not consent to your entry or to your search of these premises. I am exercising my right to remain silent. I wish to speak with a lawyer as soon as possible.”
- If you are on probation with a search condition, law enforcement is allowed to enter your home.
- What to do if you're arrested or detained
- If you are arrested by the police, you have the right to a government-appointed lawyer, and should ask for one immediately.
- If you are detained by ICE or Border Patrol, you have the right to hire a lawyer, but the government does not have to provide one for you. Ask for a list of free or low-cost alternatives.
The community has gathered around the family by raising money for legal fees and painting a mural behind their apartment complex.
The mural reads, “No one is illegal on stolen land” and has a portrait of the parents.
"My parents were actually loved. My dad was a landscaping guy for a couple of properties in the neighborhood, he was a good guy. My mom will give anybody food. My mom would do anything for anybody," Robles said.
The teens have had very little communication with their parents, who are being held in separate facilities.
49th District congressman Mike Levin is investigating the incident.
"There's inherent risk when deploying flashbangs and related tactics in a family neighborhood. This situation demands transparency, but DHS so far has been unresponsive as usual. I won't stop until we get answers," he said on his Facebook page.
Since the arrest, the Eastside neighborhood of Oceanside has been on high alert, and so have community activists.
"People keep on asking, 'What can we do?' And we're like, 'We'll get out on the streets. Your presence alone makes a huge difference,'" said juanito xochipilli conoro, with the Human Rights Council of Oceanside.
The grassroots community organization helps families stay informed.
"I've seen more and more younger people come out, more people coming out to protest because they want to do something with this energy that they have," said conoro, who spells his name in all lower-case letters.
On Saturday, the council plans a community patrol training in Oceanside to teach people about observing, documenting, and responding when ICE or law enforcement is present in communities.
The training takes place at 10 A.M. at Balderrama Park.
