Remote Surveillance Trailer in Sonoma, CA

ICE arrests across Northern California have more than tripled this year, recent data shows. Those arrests affect not only the individuals detained but also the families left behind.

As part of an ongoing series, KRCB’s Shandra Back spoke with one Sonoma County woman whose husband was arrested by ICE earlier this year.

“Yaira,” who asked that her real name not be used, is a mother of three living in Rohnert Park. She fled Ecuador with her family three years ago, saying gangs were targeting her husband and two children. She has three children now. The family was granted humanitarian parole, which allows them to live and work in the United States while their asylum case is pending.

In an interview at her home, she described what happened in October, when her husband missed a routine online ICE check‑in and was told to report to San Francisco. She says she was nervous and wanted to go with him, but he told her, “Just go on with your normal day.”

“It was one of the bitterest days of my life,” she says.

Before leaving, he handed her all the credit cards and passwords — already acting, she says, as if he might not return.

Yaira spent the morning checking her phone for updates. He checked in once, telling her they were going to attend to him soon. Then the messages stopped.

Their lawyer eventually called: “They detained him.”

“I started crying. I didn’t know what to do,” she says. She focused on retrieving the family car he had left in the parking lot.

When she arrived in San Francisco, she wanted to enter the building because her husband was just steps away. But her lawyer told her not to get close, not to go inside, and to keep a low profile. She drove back to Sonoma County in tears. Before her children came home from school, she wiped her face, took a breath and continued on with her “normal day.”

But she says nothing felt normal after that.

“That’s when my torment, my nightmare, began,” she says. “When you’re in that situation, the days don’t pass quickly. One day feels like an eternity.”

Yaira works at a thrift store, but her income alone isn’t enough to support the family. Her husband had handled the morning routine — bathing and dressing the children — while she cooked breakfast. Now she was doing both.

At first, she told the children their father was away on a work trip. But she couldn’t hide her sadness. Her younger son, who was especially close to his father, told her, “I feel like my world is blank.” He used to draw her flowers; now he drew them withered.

Yaira says her attorney couldn’t offer much clarity because they didn’t know what charges ICE was pursuing. She was told only to wait and be patient.

Since her husband had limited communication from detention, Yaira relayed updates to him. Just keep waiting, she told him.

But he couldn’t.

“He told me, ‘You know what? I’m going to go back,’” she says. Self‑deportation felt like the only thing he could control. At first she protested, but soon they were discussing logistics, including selling the family car.

Then one day, he didn’t call.

She contacted a friend whose husband is in the same detention facility, who told her she had heard he might have been moved.

“What do I do now?” she remembers thinking.

At work later that day, her phone finally rang. It was him. But before she could get answers, the call dropped.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story is part of an ongoing series on the local impacts of federal immigration policy. Previous stories can be found under the Immigration News tab.

Sonoma State University's President outlines how he plans to steer a campus rocked by problems in his first public address.

ROHNERT PARK-COTATI, CA — Sonoma State University is moving to rebuild and redefine itself under new leadership, with President Michael Spagna laying out plans Friday to expand academics and explore a sustainable return for NCAA Division II athletics — his first public address since taking over a campus rocked by budget cuts, resignations, and declining enrollment.

“The engagement of Sonoma State’s communities, alumni, supporters, elected officials, and the media reflects the importance of this institution as an educational, economic, and social force in the North Bay,” Spagna said in a statement.

This was the first opportunity since Spagna was appointed in November to hear his strategy for turning around the troubled campus. However, Spagna’s first address offered more broad direction than specific details.

He outlined a high-level vision for new academic programs and a cautious return of Division II athletics.

“These initiatives reflect Sonoma State’s continued focus on student success and career preparation,” Spagna said.

Athletics, discontinued in January 2025, are also under review. After Sonoma State ended the sports program, the university received $8 million in one-time state funding for athletics.

To determine whether Division II sports can return sustainably, a "fiscal feasibility team" will study funding models, long-term costs, and student impact. This follows a study by an athletics task force that spent six months developing recommendations for the future of NCAA Division II athletics at Sonoma State.

“The Task Force report offers a thoughtful starting point for reimagining athletics at Sonoma State,” he said. “Any recommendation of this scale must be supported by a clear and sustainable financial plan before lasting decisions can be made.”

New carpool lane hours will take effect to ease congestion and improve the commute for residents following advocacy from local officials.

MARIN COUNTY, CA — Relief is on the way for commuters on Highway 101, as the California Department of Transportation officially announced reduced operating hours for high-occupancy vehicle lanes in Marin and Sonoma counties.

Effective in late February, coinciding with the update of HOV hours signage, the new schedule will be 6-9 a.m. and 3-6:30 p.m., replacing the current 5-10 a.m. and 3-7 p.m. hours. The consistent hours across both counties are expected to ease congestion and improve the daily commute for many North Bay residents.

Caltrans announced the adjustment following a December commitment to analyze traffic and address ongoing concerns from commuters, who reported longer travel times after the recent opening of the third lane through the Marin-Sonoma Narrows. The change comes after sustained advocacy from local and state elected officials and regional transportation agencies.

The effort to secure the hour reduction was spearheaded by the County of Marin, led by Supervisor Eric Lucan, in partnership with State Assemblymember Damon Connolly, the Transportation Authority of Marin, and the Sonoma County Transportation and Climate Authority.

“We celebrated the long-anticipated opening of the third lane through the Marin-Sonoma Narrows, but early concerns we raised about the new HOV hours creating congestion proved valid” Lucan said. “We heard clearly from constituents frustrated by longer commutes, and I appreciate Caltrans’ willingness to listen and adjust the hours to better match peak travel times while continuing to support carpooling and transit.”

Assemblymember Connolly, representing Marin and parts of Sonoma, welcomed the expedited action.

“Elevating the voices of our North Bay residents and working with our county partners, we have been able to expedite the timeline to change HOV hours to better reflect the needs of our commuters and prevent unnecessary traffic congestion,” Connolly said.

San Rafael Mayor and TAM Chair Kate Colin noted that the updated hours strike a necessary balance.

“Aligning the hours more closely with peak travel times helps make the daily commute more predictable, while supporting transit and shared rides,” she said.

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — Sonoma County broke new ground: Supervisor Rebecca Hermosillo is the county board's first Latina chair, stepping into the role as the region faces intense challenges and shifting priorities on all fronts.

Hermosillo was elected chair of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors for 2026, becoming the first Latina to lead the five-member board in the county's 176-year history.

“I recognize the significance of this moment,” she said in a statement. “I am here because my parents sacrificed, because so many friends and families worked twice as hard to get where they are for a better chance for themselves and their families.”

Hermosillo was endorsed by her colleagues during the board’s annual reorganization Tuesday.

She said the year ahead will bring challenges as Sonoma County navigates economic uncertainty and shifting priorities at the state and federal levels. “Fiscal responsibility will be essential,” she said, stressing the need to carefully manage limited public resources while strengthening partnerships and ensuring residents feel heard and valued in county decisions.

Elected in 2024, Hermosillo represents District 1, which includes east Santa Rosa and the Sonoma Valley. She served as vice chair in 2025 under then-chair Lynda Hopkins.

Hopkins thanked her colleagues and the county's more than 4,300 employees for their work on behalf of the public.

“We have amazing human beings who show up every day to make our community just a little bit better. To be a part of that team is really the greatest privilege of my working life,” Hopkins said before passing the gavel to Chair Hermosillo.

Supervisor Chris Coursey was named vice chair, and Supervisor David Rabbitt was selected as chair pro tem.

Coursey, who represents District 3 including much of Santa Rosa and Rohnert Park, was elected in 2020 and reelected in 2024. He previously served as board chair in 2023.

“This is a proud and historic moment for Sonoma County,” Coursey said. “Chair Hermosillo’s leadership reflects the diversity of our community and the progress we continue to make in ensuring everyone has a seat at the table," he said in a statement. "I look forward to supporting her and my colleagues on the Board as we navigate the year ahead together.”