LA MESA GRANDMOTHER DETAINED BY ICE WHILE SERVING AS LEGAL OBSERVER FOR IMMIGRANTS AT COURTHOUSE

By Miriam Raftery

July 11, 2025 (La Mesa) – La Mesa resident Barbara Stone, a 71-year old U.S. citizen and courthouse observer at immigration proceedings,  is free tonight after being detained by Immigrants and Customs agents (ICE) for eight hours without access to an attorney, according to her daughter and witnesses.

Jessica Kort, posted a plea for help after the detention:  “My mom, Barbara Stone, has been volunteering as a legal observer at the San Diego Edward J. Schwarz Federal Building courthouse to support immigrants at risk of detention, bear witness to and ensure procedural accountability as ICE detains individuals after their proceedings, and escort individuals after hearings.”

The post continues, “This morning, in an effort to intimidate and retaliate against the volunteers, ICE arrested Barbara and federal officers have detained her the whole day. She is being interrogated without an attorney and without talking to witnesses.

According to Kort, Stone is a 71 year old white woman, a US born citizen, a grandmother, and a passionate volunteer for the most vulnerable in our society.

Stone’s website indicates she is a graduate of Grossmont High School in El Cajon who later studied U.C. Berkeley and at the Monterey Institute of Foreign Studies, later working for Qualcomm Inc.

“We are humbled by the network of support that has turned out to assist her case. It’s debilitating to know that people with less privilege and access to resources are being treated even worse,” Kort says. “I’m appalled at the failures of our trusted justice system and government overreach happening all around us. According to volunteers who have been on the ground since late May, ICE’s retaliation today aligns with a pattern of use of force, procedural violations, and inappropriate behavior.”

Witnesses confirm the incident.  Activist Tasha Williamson  livestreamed from the courthouse and posted on Facebook this morning, “Barbara Stone, a 71yo Jewish peaceful volunteer + observer, was just arrested by ICE. They read her her rights—but refused to provide an attorney.”

Community members responded with anger at ICE’s actions as well as relief that Stone has been released.

 Bonnie Price, a long-time Democratic Party leader from East County, says she is grateful that that Stone was released.

Carol Kim, business manager at the San Diego Building & Construction Trades Council, said of Stone and ICE, “She's so courageous. They're cowards and bullies."