The Fullerton Police Department is aware of a video circulating on social media showing a Fullerton Police Officer “assisting” an ICE agent in the City of Santa Ana on November 9th, at approximately 12:18 PM.
The Fullerton Police Officer had just completed transporting an inmate to the Orange County Jail, and he was returning to Fullerton when he observed two vehicles stopped in the intersection of Santa Ana Blvd. and Shelton St.
The officer then saw a male exit one of the vehicles while pointing a firearm at the driver of the vehicle behind him. The officer immediately stopped to assist, not knowing the identity of the armed male or the circumstances unfolding in front of him.
The armed male identified himself as an ICE agent and presented credentials. He told the officer that a female driver had been following and recording him. The Fullerton Police Officer informed the agent that he could not assist with someone following or recording him if no crime had occurred, and that local law enforcement (Santa Ana PD) was en route. The female left the area shortly after. The officer reiterated to the ICE agent that he would not assist if no crime had taken place, and then he left the scene.
ICE is a federal law enforcement agency, and Fullerton Police Officers will assist them, and any other local, state, or federal law enforcement agency, in situations involving immediate officer safety. However, Senate Bill 54 prohibits local law enforcement from participating in immigration enforcement. The Fullerton Police Department has not and will not participate in immigration enforcement efforts.
For more information on the Fullerton Police Department’s stance on immigration enforcement, visit their website.