Detained Santa Cruz immigrant released, Monterey Bay area parks rated as state's best

KAZU | By Elena Neale-Sacks,

Published May 8, 2025 at 11:32 AM PDT

photo shows point lobos, a rocky coastline with bright blue water — Point Lobos State Natural Reserve

In today's newscast, Immigration and Customs Enforcement just released a green card holder who has lived in Santa Cruz for decades from a Washington state detention center. And, three parks in the Monterey Bay area are on the California State Parks Foundation's first "best of" list.

Tags

Elena Neale-Sacks

Elena is an Emmy award-winning researcher, reporter, and producer. At KAZU, they cover agriculture, housing and homelessness, and the aftermath of the January 2025 lithium battery fire in Moss Landing. Their reporting and research has been featured on NPR, KQED, Netflix, Reveal, CalMatters, and more. Elena is an alum of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and UC Santa Cruz. You can reach them at elena@kazu.org.

See stories by Elena Neale-Sacks

Katie Brown

Katie Brown comes to KAZU after earning spot news and investigative journalism awards for her reporting and photography in Maine. A Report for America alumna and former Metcalf Institute fellow, Katie’s reporting beats span business, environment, and public health.

See stories by Katie Brown