The operation, which took place in the Sacramento area, nearly 600 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border, is the latest show of force from the Border Patrol in the state, which joined a full-cavalry raid in a Los Angeles park earlier this month.

Border Patrol in Sacramento arrested 11 illegal migrants during a raid at a Home Depot parking lot — including one man with 67 prior bookings in California since 1986.

They seem to believe that communicating that they are rounding people up, has political upside for them,” said a communication and political science professor.