San Diego Volunteers Cited for Observing ICE Arrests

Federal officials cited four people for loitering while observing immigrants attending ICE appointments at a federal building.

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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Federal officials cited four volunteers who were observing and offering prayers to immigrants arrested while attending scheduled check-ins with ICE or immigration court hearings at the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Building in downtown San Diego. The volunteers, who have been regularly visiting the building for months, were cited under a regulation prohibiting loitering on federal property. This marks the first time the volunteers have been cited for the practice.

Why it matters

The incident highlights the ongoing tensions between immigration enforcement and advocates who seek to monitor and document the arrests of immigrants attending legal proceedings. Critics argue that ICE's practice of making arrests at the federal building punishes immigrants for trying to follow the rules, while volunteers say their presence helps maintain peace and provide comfort to those being detained.

The details

Officials with the Federal Protective Service cited the volunteers under a legal code stating that anyone on federal property must follow the posted regulations, which include a prohibition on loitering. The volunteers say they were previously told by officials that they were allowed to be there, and they plan to fight the $280 citations in federal court. A legal expert said the restrictions on the volunteers' presence raise 'significant questions' about whether they are valid under the First Amendment.

  • The incident occurred on Thursday, February 27, 2026.
  • Volunteers have been regularly visiting the federal building to observe and document arrests since last year, as ICE's immigration crackdown escalated in San Diego.

The players

Federal Protective Service

The agency that provides security services on federal property and cited the volunteers for loitering.

Robert Kovelman

One of the observers cited, who has been coming to the federal building since July 2025 to observe the arrests.

Rev. Hung Nguyen

The leader of a faith ministry whose volunteers observe proceedings at the federal building to help maintain peace and provide comfort to those being detained.

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What they’re saying

“It's clear something has changed.”

— Robert Kovelman, Observer (inewsource.org)

“We're there to be present and we're there to accompany people with prayers. There's no citation, there's no regulation on the code that says prayer is part of loitering.”

— Rev. Hung Nguyen, Faith Ministry Leader (inewsource.org)

What’s next

The volunteers plan to fight the citations in federal court.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the ongoing tensions between immigration enforcement and advocates who seek to monitor and document the arrests of immigrants, raising questions about the validity of restrictions on their First Amendment rights to observe government conduct.