Three agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and a member of the public volunteering to monitor the agency’s surge of activity in the South Bay were injured and received medical care at a San Jose hospital early on Saturday morning, according to Santa Clara County and a volunteer network.
The four people “reported to a county hospital and were released,” according to Santa Clara County.
The extent of agents’ injuries and their causes were not immediately clear. The volunteer was allegedly assaulted by agents, the Santa Clara County Rapid Response Network said in a statement. The group is a network of nonprofits tracking immigration enforcement activity that also provides emergency legal services to immigrants
“We can confirm that a person was physically assaulted and dragged into an ICE vehicle,” the network said. “Our rapid responders found her and made sure she was taken to the ER.”
County officials declined to provide more information. Spokespeople for local groups monitoring federal agents referred reporters to social media posts. An ICE spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking information about the agents’ condition and assignment in the area.
The Rapid Response Network posted on Instagram Saturday that a volunteer not affiliated with the network sought “emergency medical care” at Regional Medical Center in San Jose. ICE agents were also present at the hospital, the post read. A spokesperson for the network did not immediately comment.
Volunteers and members of the public outside Elmwood Correctional Facility, a county jail in Milpitas, were “targeted” by ICE agents in the early hours of Saturday, the Rapid Response Network posted near 4 a.m. Earlier, the network said agents had used “excessive force.”
It’s the second incident of its kind this week as officials warn residents of heightened federal activity near county facilities in the South Bay.
A man was also taken to a Regional Medical Center on Wednesday night after being tased by ICE agents shortly after he was released from Elmwood jail.
Santa Clara County said hospital workers followed “all guidelines and procedures” when treating the agents and member of the public on Saturday. Regional Medical Center is part of the county’s network of hospitals and clinics, Valley Healthcare.