Traffic stops on a rural California army base have led to the arrest of at least 15 men by immigration agents, raising fears of military coordination with ICE and potential violations of US law. The incidents occurred at Fort Hunter Liggett, a vast base 160 miles south of San Francisco, where drivers were pulled over on Jolon Road, a public road that cuts through the military installation.
According to Francisco Galicia, one of those arrested, the stops appeared routine—officers cited minor infractions such as a light out or an open gas cap. However, when drivers could not provide a social security number, immigration agents arrived within minutes to make arrests. Galicia, who was deported days later, described the experience as a trap: 'Seven fishermen went fishing, and we’re the ones who got hooked.'
Local rapid response networks confirmed at least eight additional cases, bringing the total to 15 since 30 December. The arrests suggest that Department of the Army civilian police at Fort Hunter Liggett assisted in the federal government's nationwide drive to arrest undocumented immigrants. Military law experts and members of Congress argue this may violate the Posse Comitatus Act, a 19th-century law restricting the use of the military for domestic law enforcement.
William Banks, a Syracuse University law professor emeritus, called the incidents a 'creep in the wrong direction toward military participation in law enforcement.' Two California members of Congress, Zoe Lofgren and Jimmy Panetta, wrote to the homeland security secretary and army secretary in February, citing 'serious questions regarding jurisdiction, interagency coordination, statutory authority, and the protection of civil liberties.'
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson confirmed the arrests and on-base detentions of 14 people since December, stating they followed Fort Hunter Liggett police contacting ICE and occurred on publicly accessible roads crossing federal property. The spokesperson did not address concerns about the Posse Comitatus Act. An army spokesperson declined to comment on third-party accounts.
