The Santa Ana Police Department is asking residents to alert authorities if they see abandoned vehicles or property they believe may belong to someone detained by federal immigration officers. The department issued the public service announcement on social media following a high-profile immigration arrest in the city that has drawn local and national attention.
“If you believe a community member has been detained by federal officers and their vehicle or property has been left alone or abandoned, please call our Communications Division,” the statement read. Police added they would make a “reasonable effort” to contact family members or others who could retrieve the belongings. The notice was initially posted in Spanish, with a follow-up video in English.
The message comes amid heightened immigration enforcement activity in Southern California, which has left many families scrambling for answers and assistance. One case in particular has sparked outrage: the arrest of Narciso Barranco in Santa Ana, a 48-year-old husband and father of three U.S. Marines.
Barranco was allegedly detained Saturday by U.S. Border Patrol agents while working as a landscaper outside an IHOP near Edinger Avenue and Ritchey Street. Video of the arrest, shared widely on social media, shows masked federal agents tackling a man to the ground, striking him, then forcing him into an unmarked silver SUV.
The footage was first posted by the Instagram account @SantaAnaProblems. In the video, agents wearing tactical vests and face coverings are seen surrounding the man, pinning him to the pavement. One agent repeatedly strikes him on the arm and near the head before others lift him up and push him into the vehicle using what appears to be a metal rod. The man did not appear to be seriously injured in the footage.
His son, 25-year-old Alejandro Barranco, identified the man as his father, Narciso. He told KTLA’s Sara Welch that his father has lived in the United States for nearly three decades and was targeted, he believes, because of how he looked and where he worked.
“I think part of it is racial profiling,” Alejandro said. “They probably assumed because he was working the landscaping he had no documentation.”
On Sunday evening, hundreds of community members gathered in Santa Ana for a candlelight vigil in support of Narciso. The event drew several hundred attendees, including faith leaders and elected officials, all rallying behind a family whose story has gained national attention.
“We never expected a turnout like this—all the elected officials, the support—it’s crazy. I’ve never seen anything like it, but I’m very glad we’re all here for each other,” Alejandro said.
Under current U.S. immigration policy, spouses and immediate family members of military service members and veterans are eligible to apply for green cards or humanitarian parole, granting them work authorization. Alejandro says he is now pursuing that legal pathway for his father and will continue filing paperwork in hopes of securing his release from detention.
The case has drawn condemnation from elected officials, including Congressman Lou Correa, who represents the area. In a statement to KTLA 5 News, Correa called the incident part of a broader pattern of immigration enforcement that has sown fear in Latino communities across Southern California.
“We cannot have federal agents inciting violence in our streets and attacking innocent parents,” Correa said. “Clearly, we need immigration reform—especially for people like Mr. Barranco, who have lived in this country for 25 to 30 years and raised his sons to put their lives on the line to defend the United States.”
Santa Ana police are urging residents to remain calm and informed, and to contact their Communications Division at (714) 245-8665 if they see property or vehicles left behind under suspicious circumstances.
The post Santa Ana police urge public to report abandoned property after immigration arrest video sparks outrage appeared first on KTLA.
