SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) appear to be stepping up operations in San Diego County, as migrant communities remain on edge over President Donald Trump’s pledge to carry out mass deportations.

Several videos posted to social media Sunday show ICE encounters at apartment complexes in North County. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration San Diego also shared images that appear to show their agents aiding in the arrest of migrants over the weekend.

In one of the filmed encounters in Escondido, an ICE agent did not appear to have a warrant, promising to a woman behind the camera in the encounter, “If that warrant comes, we’re going to take everybody in the house.”

It is unclear whether the recorded interactions led to any arrests. However, officials for MCAS Miramar said at least two military departures of military aircraft from the base for deportation missions.

A spokesperson for DEA’s San Diego field office confirmed the enforcement efforts in a statement, saying “This weekend DEA San Diego, [Homeland Security Investigations] San Diego, and ICE-[Enforcement and Removal Operations] San Diego worked together to keep our community safe.”

FOX 5/KUSI reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for more information on the interactions over the weekend, but did not receive a response prior to publication.

Nonetheless, the operations come at a time of great anxiety for migrant communities regardless of their documentation status as the Trump Administration continues to institute policies seeking to radically reshape the U.S. immigration system.

This includes the positioning of dozens of troops at San Diego’s border with Mexico to bolster security, rolling back of asylum and refugee protections, and ramped up law enforcement action targeting undocumented migrants who federal officials say have criminal backgrounds.

The first days of Trump’s administration have seen hundreds of arrests per day, culminating to 956 in raids held across the country on Sunday, per Trump’s “border czar” Tom Homan. That number represents about 0.8% of the total arrests during ICE’s 2024 fiscal year.

Among those arrested in the raids were members of gangs, although at least one person was confirmed to be a U.S. military veteran.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta visited San Diego on Friday to help ease fears that law-abiding undocumented residents would get swept up in deportations.

He assured local immigration attorneys and advocates a law prohibiting state and local law enforcement from acting as immigration enforcement officers, Senate Bill 54, will be upheld, even as the White House has threatened investigations into opponents of Trump’s crackdown.

“It’s real, I know most people don’t see it but it already started happening,” said El Cajon resident Jose Cruz.

A protest was held outside El Cajon City Council chambers Monday as community members were protesting against a resolution to take the opposite approach to cooperating with the Trump administration’s immigration plans on Tuesday’s city council agenda.

“I felt so heartbroken, so helpless,” said El Cajon resident Victoria, whose friend was taken for deportation over the weekend.

“He was taken in front of his daughter, he was a single parent, his only crime was to be here illegal, and I guess that is a crime. He has never committed any felonies, any misdemeanors and they took him in front of his daughter, she had to witness this, this is very traumatizing for her,” Victoria added.

Migrant advocate and Director of the American Friends Service Committee Pedro Rios said he has heard of immigration enforcement in San Marcos, Escondido, Central San Diego, City Heights, National City and El Cajon.

The City of El Cajon’s resolution reads in part, “1. Declaration of Intent: The City of El Cajon declares its intent to comply with the enforcement of federal immigration law to the legal extent permissible under SB 54, the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution, and other applicable laws for the sole purpose of removing those that have committed violent criminal offenses, as defined by California Penal Code Section 1192.7(c), from our community. Further, the City of El Cajon will not impede federal law enforcement officials or block their efforts, as has been suggested by other California jurisdictions, known as “sanctuary cities.” 3. Compliance with State and Federal Law: The City will continue to comply with federal and state law, recognizing that there are conflicts between federal and state laws.”

Mayor Bill Wells said the state and federal agencies aren’t agreeing on the law, but he wants to assist in immigration enforcement.

Meanwhile, Cruz does not agree.

“This resolution is going to affect not only undocumented immigrants, but also U.S. citizens that look brown like me, I feel like we’re going to be targeted like we used to be in the 90s, just because we look Hispanic or we are Hispanic,” he added.