Video and eyewitness accounts show federal immigration agents detaining people in the parking lot outside the Rancho Cucamonga courthouse, rattling courthouse visitors and immigrant-rights advocates. Community rapid-response teams say similar activity has been happening at the site for the last two months, with people allegedly singled out after coming to the building for scheduled hearings. Those reports, paired with newly surfaced footage, have renewed scrutiny of enforcement tactics that advocates say can discourage people from using the courts at all.
What Community Observers Recorded
Local rapid-response volunteers and reporters documented what they describe as a heavy enforcement presence outside the Superior Courthouse in early February. Community watchers reported multiple marked and unmarked trucks and SUVs staging in the lot. According to L.A. TACO, observers counted at least eight ICE vehicles during one morning, with later tallies putting the size of the operation even higher.
Advocates Say People Were Taken While Attending Hearings
Advocacy groups told local outlets that arrests occurred while people were at the courthouse for previously scheduled hearings. As reported by CALÓ News, the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice confirmed that six people were taken and quoted hotline specialist Gaby Arteaga saying, "There were so many officers." The group has urged anyone with court business to talk with their attorney beforehand and consider showing up with accompaniment from rapid-response volunteers.
New Video Renews Attention
On April 10, CBS Los Angeles released video that appears to show federal agents detaining people in the Rancho Cucamonga courthouse parking area. The clip has been widely shared on social platforms and among local advocates. That footage has drawn fresh attention to incidents first documented by community watchers in February and is being used by rapid responders to bolster and corroborate earlier reports.
Trackers and Rapid Responders Keep Logs
Crowd-sourced trackers and rapid-response networks report that they have logged multiple sightings at the courthouse through February and March. Those logs include vehicle descriptions and timestamps that volunteers share to coordinate accompaniment and legal help, according to StopICE. Community teams say that kind of real-time tracking has helped them move faster when enforcement activity turns up near courthouses.
Officials, Lawmakers and the Legal Landscape
There was no public statement from ICE or the San Bernardino Superior Court available at the time of reporting. State lawmakers have been pushing measures aimed at increasing transparency around law enforcement operations. Senator Sasha Renée Pérez’s office has highlighted legislation that would require clearer identification by officers and curb impersonation, according to a statement on her website.
What Advocates Are Advising
Immigrant-rights groups warn that arrests in or near courthouses can chill attendance, undercut access to due process, and make some people afraid to show up for critical hearings. Rapid-response organizations and CALÓ News direct community members to local hotlines, including the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice hotline at (909) 361‑4588, for immediate assistance or to report enforcement activity.
