News

Oakland Responds to New ICE Raids

Published

6 years ago

March 2, 2018

Activists have blocked the intersections surrounding the ICE building in San Francisco this week. Facebook photos by Megan Zapanta and April Martin.

Oakland officials and community groups are responding in the wake of news of increased ICE deportation raids throughout Northern California.

Federal officials said this week they arrested more than 150 undocumented immigrants in a Northern California sweeps to counter local sanctuary laws.

The raids, part of an operation called “Keep Safe,” were conducted throughout Northern California, including arrests in San Francisco, Bay Point, Sacramento and Stockton.

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf earned an angry response from ICE when she warned the Oakland community that immigration raids were pending. She announced that she had learned from “multiple credible sources” that ICE was planning an operation in the Bay Area.

ICE Deputy Director Thomas D. Homan said Mayor Schaaf’s announcement was the reason a number of undocumented suspects were still at large.

“864 criminal aliens and public safety threats remain at large in the community, and I have to believe that some of them were able to elude us thanks to the mayor’s irresponsible decision,” said Homan.

City Councilmember-at-Large Rebecca Kaplan condemned the current ICE raids, saying “The Federal ICE agency continues [its] attacks on many in our community, targeting people who are not accused of crimes, and undermining the safety of our community.”

ICE calls the operation “Keep Safe,” but “when we look at actual results, we can see that the actions of ICE are not keeping people safe,” said Kaplan.

“When conducting a raid in West Oakland in August, ICE stated that they were doing so to protect a young man from child trafficking. There turned out to be no evidence this was taking place, and nobody was charged with a crime,” she said.

But the 19-year-old young man in that case, Darwin DeLeon, “has since passed away, with no mention or support from the ICE officials who said they were protecting him,” she continued.

“An Oakland family was disrupted and publicly slandered, and a young man had his older brother taken away and sent for deportation proceedings,” said Kaplan.” All of this was done on the basis of claims that the 19-year-old was being saved from human trafficking, though no criminal charges were filed.

“We know they tell untruths in our community and…make all of us less safe. This is part of why it’s important that the Oakland City Council passed our resolution ending all collusion between OPD and ICE—and why we must stand strong in the face of federal efforts to disrupt our communities.”

For legal assistance, contact Centro Legal De La Raza’s immigration clinic, call (510) 437-1554, email info@centrolegal.org
To report ICE activity, call the hotline at: (510) 241-4011.

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S.F. Black Leaders Rally to Protest, Discuss ‘Epidemic’ of Racial Slurs Against Black Students in SF Public School System

Parents at the meeting spoke of their children as no longer feeling safe in school because of bullying and discrimination. Parents also said that reported incidents such as racial slurs and intimidation are not dealt with to their satisfaction and feel ignored.

Published

3 days ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Rev. Amos C. Brown, president of the San Francisco NAACP and pastor of Third Baptist Church. Photo courtesy Third Baptist Church.

By Carla Thomas

San Francisco’s Third Baptist Church hosted a rally and meeting Sunday to discuss hatred toward African American students of the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD).

Rev. Amos C. Brown, president of the San Francisco NAACP and pastor of Third Baptist Church, along with leadership from local civil rights groups, the city’s faith-based community and Black community leadership convened at the church.

“There has been an epidemic of racial slurs and mistreatment of Black children in our public schools in the city,” said Brown. “This will not be tolerated.”

According to civil rights advocate Mattie Scott, students from elementary to high school have reported an extraordinary amount of racial slurs directed at them.

“There is a surge of overt racism in the schools, and our children should not be subjected to this,” said Scott. “Students are in school to learn, develop, and grow, not be hated on,” said Scott. “The parents of the children feel they have not received the support necessary to protect their children.”

Attendees were briefed last Friday in a meeting with SFUSD Superintendent Dr. Matt Wayne.

SFUSD states that their policies protect children and they are not at liberty to publicly discuss the issues to protect the children’s privacy.

Some parents said they have removed their students from school while other parents and community leaders called on the removal of the SFUSD superintendent, the firing of certain school principals and the need for more supportive school board members.

Community advocates discussed boycotting the schools and creating Freedom Schools led by Black leaders and educators, reassuring parents that their child’s wellbeing and education are the highest priority and youth are not to be disrupted by racism or policies that don’t support them.

Virginia Marshall, chair of the San Francisco NAACP’s education committee, offered encouragement to the parents and students in attendance while also announcing an upcoming May 14 school board meeting to demand accountability over their mistreatment.

“I’m urging anyone that cares about our students to pack the May 14 school board meeting,” said Marshall.

This resource was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library via California Black Media as part of the Stop the Hate Program. The program is supported by partnership with California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs as part of the Stop the Hate program. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to CA vs Hate.