Advocates confirm at least 11 deportation arrests in NorCal
I wanted to share with the community an email I received this morning from Alameda County Immigration Legal & Education Partnership about the intended ICE raids in the Bay Area.
"At least 11 people were arrested and put into deportation proceedings, although only 2 of those were in the East Bay. Five occurred in Merced County, two in Sacramento County and one each in Monterey and Napa counties.
ICE agents reportedly used psychological intimidation tactics, such as when they congregated at food trucks in Napa and joked about who would be arrested next. In Atwater, agents carried out several arrests by simply profiling people who walked into stores.
In the face of an ugly campaign of intimidation from the Trump administration’s deportation force, we call upon all Californians to respond with power, not panic.
We urge every person who calls our state home to learn their basic constitutional rights. Every Californian has the right to remain silent and the right not to open their door. And we urge everyone who witnesses potential activity to verify information before posting on social media. Direct witnesses should call the rapid response hotline for your county (numbers are available here). Each of the rapid response hotlines operating in Northern California is staffed by immigrant rights advocates and connects to teams of trained legal observers and immigration attorneys who investigate reports of ICE raids and arrests.
Disturbingly, some of the people arrested today may have been denied due process. ICE reportedly took them to its San Francisco headquarters even though it was closed, and informed attorneys inquiring about access to clients that they were not allowed in. It is imperative that due process is fully upheld to guard against abuses of federal power, and we must always question the claims ICE makes about its operations, which all too often have proven embarrassingly false.
The conduct and manner of these operations once again provides clear evidence that this administration uses enforcement to terrorize communities of color and bully cities and jurisdictions which have protected due process with ”Sanctuary” policies. ICE’s tactics continue to undermine trust and cause widespread fear within our communities. We will continue to stand up for our values and respond with power, not panic."