Federal U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested a homeless Centralia resident on Wednesday, Mayor Kelly Smith Johnston has confirmed.

The arrest occurred in an alley behind Centralia City Hall sometime around 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 29, Smith Johnston stated in a Facebook post.

The Centralia Police Department was not involved in the arrest, but Centralia Police Chief Andy Caldwell was notified by ICE officials, according to Smith Johnston.

“ICE informed Chief Caldwell that their operations in this area of Washington state is purely focused on immigrants with criminal records,” Smith Johnston wrote. “Currently, they are neither targeting nor sweeping the general population.”

The arrested individual, who was not publicly identified on Tuesday, has “a lengthy and diverse arrest record to include assaults,” Smith Johnston stated.

The subject was arrested “likely for deportation,” she said.

In the week since he took office, President Donald Trump has signed a plethora of executive orders to overhaul the country’s immigration system. Those orders, several of which have been challenged in court, include declaring a national emergency at the southern border, ending birthright citizenship and eliminating policies that bar immigration enforcement agents from arresting migrants at churches, schools and hospitals.

After running on a campaign promise of mass deportations of undocumented immigrants, Trump’s administration embarked on a nationwide string of immigration raids on Sunday, with ICE agents descending on communities across the country.

ICE agents made over 900 arrests on Sunday and have since been told to meet a quota of between 1,200 to 1,500 arrests per day, according to reporting by the Washington Post and NBC News.

U.S. citizens, including members of the Navajo Nation and a U.S. Military veteran, have been caught up in the arrests, according to reporting by various outlets, including Fox News and NBC News.

Washington state is one of 11 states in the U.S. with a sanctuary state law, which prohibits local police from assisting federal authorities with civil immigration enforcement.

Washington’s law, called the Keep Washington Working Act, went into effect in May 2019 with the stated purpose of “ensuring the state of Washington remains a place where the rights and dignity of all residents are maintained and protected in order to keep Washington working,” the law reads.

State officials estimated that more than 300,000 undocumented immigrants lived in Washington state in 2021. Of those, 77% were employed within Washington state, according to data released by the state Office of Financial Management.

On Monday, Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson created the “Family Separation Rapid Response Team” aimed to help children whose parents are deported. Ferguson has stated his administration “will do everything we can possibly do to address those significant harms” tied to the Trump administration’s immigration policies, according to reporting by the Washington State Standard.

While Washington’s sanctuary law and Ferguson’s commitment to supporting immigrant communities mean it’s less likely for ICE agents to conduct a sweep of the general population in Centralia, the current political climate has Centralia’s Hispanic community on edge.

“It’s hard to hear members of my community having a very hard time. It’s scary to hear the kids worry about what’s going to happen and it’s heartbreaking,” Centralia City Councilor Adrianna Garibay said during the city council’s regular meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 28.

During her designated time to make reports and comments during the meeting, Garibay expressed appreciation to Centralia community members who have called her in the last few weeks to ask “how Centralia’s Hispanic community is doing,” she said.

“I really want to thank the members of the community who call and say, ‘If you guys need anything, you have my house here. Let the Hispanic community (know) we support you guys.’ Thank you so much for making us feel this is our city. Thank you so much.”

Garibay immigrated from Michoacàn, Mexico, in 1998, and settled in Centralia, where she manages GT Roofing. She was appointed to Centralia City Council Position 3 At-Large in May 2023 after Leah Daarud resigned the month prior. She was officially elected to the position in November 2023 and began a three-year term in January 2024.