ICE targeted Central Coast over break

Author

Carly Heltzel
January 05, 2026

Good morning and welcome back. It’s Monday, and I’m looking at photos of the real-life characters that defined 2025. Onto the five Cal Poly, SLO and California stories you need to know for today.

1.

Santa Maria was the “epicenter” of immigration enforcement on the Central Coast over winter break, with over 87 people detained since Dec. 27. In SLO and Santa Barbara Counties, there were over 150 people detained, a local nonprofit said. Paso Robles and San Miguel are more recent targets, with 20 people taken in recent days. “Right now our community is living in terror,” one local state senator said. 

2.

Major highways flooded over the weekend, closing roadways as students flocked back to SLO. Highway 1 remains closed in Santa Barbara County near Orcutt and a washout blocks the road south of Big Sur. Highway 101 fully reopened after crews cleared flooding from both directions yesterday in Santa Barbara County. Along with the rain, California’s snowpack increased by 600% in just 12 days at the end of December.

3.

California’s Democrats are outraged at President Donald Trump’s military action in Venezuela, while the state’s Republicans praised the operation that captured the Venezuelan president and his wife on Saturday. Sen. Adam Schiff was one of California’s most outspoken opponents; he decried Trump for not consulting Congress before taking military action and saying the operation “further erodes America’s standing on the world stage.” 

4.

Families who once saw CARE Court — Gov. Gavin Newsom’s court petition pipeline for individuals with severe mental illness — as the answer to their prayers have now turned against the program, calling it ineffective and “false hope.” Two years in, people filed just under 3,100 petitions, almost half of which were dismissed. Only 706 CARE treatment plans and agreements were made, largely due to the treatment being voluntary. “They did nothing,” one mother said. Officials say it’s too early to judge.

5.

New year, new laws — here are a few of California’s new restrictions that might actually affect you. Tortillas will include folic acid, a bitter vitamin that reduces birth defects. Add a 1.5% fee to electronics with permanent batteries (capped at $15) that funds e-waste recycling. DoorDash et al. will refund your wrong order, landlords will provide a working stove and refrigerator, owners won’t declaw their cats and streaming services won’t play ads louder than your TV show.