“Our area of responsibility stretches from the U.S./Mexico Border, north, as mission and threat dictate, all the way to the Oregon line,” U.S. Border Patrol Chief Patrol Agent Gregory K. Bovino, chief of the El Centro Sector in Imperial Valley, said in a statement.

Immigrant communities in Kern County, California, are on edge as the U.S. Border Patrol has been seen conducting enforcement operations throughout the region this week.

A real Border Patrol operation in another part of California has sparked rumors and social media uproar—and caused anxiety for immigrants. The rumors stemmed from a real Border Patrol operation out of Kern County.

Authorities are urging caution, highlighting the risks posed by harsh weather conditions and difficult terrain.