Federal agents on Wednesday arrested an unknown number of people in South San Jose, not far from where they detained four people Tuesday.
The agents were seen behind Chavez Supermarket on Blossom Hill Road near Cahalan Avenue.
Watch NBC Bay Area News free wherever you are
WATCH HERENBC Bay Area saw several people detained in the area before being transported to another location.
"Those arrested had executable final orders of removal by an immigration judge and had not complied with that order," a spokesperson for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said in a statement.
The Rapid Response Network, an immigrant watchdog group, said immigrants are being called for meetings at ISAP – Intensive Supervision Appearance Program – for what are usually routine appointments to check on their immigration status. But the immigrants who show up are taken from ISAP to a holding area behind Chavez Supermarket for processing and apparently to be taken to a detention center, the Rapid Response Network said.
“It’s cruel, it’s cruel," Rapid Response Network volunteer Megan Swift said. "A lot of people live with fear of being grabbed, and these are people who are doing what is asked of them and they’re actually walking themselves in."
An attorney for one client who came for an ISAP meeting but was suddenly taken away said immigrants are being gathered up at places where they’re being told to show up for other reasons.
"We’ve been getting hit hard for the last couple weeks at the immigration court, detentions, and now this is happening with the detentions at ISAP appointments," immigration attorney Sylvia Rodezno said. "It's like there is something, there’s an order to enforce more than ever right now."
A Chavez Supermarket employee who declined to give her name told NBC Bay Area the store was closed to help protect customers from federal agents in the parking lot.
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news with the Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
SIGN UP "We’ve heard reports of ICE activity in South San José," Mayor Matt Mahan said in a statement. "While we don’t have details about the operation, I want to be clear that our police department does not carry out federal immigration enforcement, and I’ll reiterate my call for the Federal Government to focus on serious and violent criminals, not people who are contributing members of our community. Everyone should feel confident interacting with SJPD, which is important, because we are all safer when everyone participates in public safety."
On Tuesday, ICE agents arrested at least four people in the area of Blossom Hill and Snell avenues. The ICE agents told bystanders the detainees had judicial orders for their removal.
Wednesday's ICE activity was less than a mile from where those Tuesday arrests took place.
