Update: Coast Guard confirms Alameda is base of immigration enforcement action

The Coast Guard has confirmed that its base in Alameda will host federal immigration enforcement agents starting today, saying in part that “through a whole of government approach, we are leveraging our unique authorities and capabilities to detect, deter, and interdict illegal aliens, narco-terrorists, and individuals intent on terrorism or other hostile activity before they reach our border.”

The story, first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle Wednesday, said the Trump administration has deployed 100 federal agents, including Customs and Border Protection, to the Coast Guard Base in Alameda.

President Donald Trump’s recent threats to order the National Guard into San Francisco have had the whole region on edge, with residents wondering if the Bay Area is about to experience the kind of chaos and violence that have accompanied similar actions in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and now Chicago and Portland.

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration said it would push back forcefully on any deployment, as it did when President Trump first ordered the guard into Los Angeles against the governor’s wishes. California Attorney General Rob Bonta vowed to “be in court within hours, if not minutes” if there is a federal deployment, and San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu has promised the same.

At a news conference Wednesday, Newsom held up what he said was a lawsuit the state would file if Trump sends troops to San Francisco.

“We’re going to be fierce in terms of our response,” said Newsom, a former mayor of San Francisco. “This is the lawsuit that I will file within a nanosecond of any efforts to send the military to one of America’s great cities.”

A Coast Guard spokesperson, Petty Officer Graves, told The Oaklandside Wednesday that Coast Guard facilities in Alameda are providing support to Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and he referred to an “operation” that’s underway. But he would not comment on that operation and said to contact CBP for more information.

Shortly after, the SF Standard reported that a Coast Guard spokesperson confirmed the deployment, saying, “Base Alameda is preparing to support CBP agents starting tomorrow as a place of operations.”

An ICE spokesperson declined to answer questions from The Oaklandside about what’s happening, and also referred questions to CBP.

A spokesperson for Customs and Border Protection acknowledged receiving questions from this reporter but did not respond.

State Senator Jesse Arreguín, who represents Richmond, Oakland, Berkeley, and Alameda, among other cities, issued a statement Wednesday confirming that a major immigration operation will soon begin.

“When similar deployments have occurred in other cities what we’ve seen are overly aggressive immigration enforcement tactics that lead to protests and civil unrest. The President and his goons then point to the unrest they themselves created to justify their tactics and even send in the National Guard,” Arreguín said.

Arreguín urged Oakland and Bay Area residents to be cautious and peaceful if they plan to protest the Trump administration’s operation. “This administration has put their playbook on display and are seeking to create chaos in order to justify additional federal deployments. Don’t take the bait.”

East Bay elected officials ‘monitoring’ the situation; say some cities could be targeted

In a Facebook post Thursday night, Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia called the reports “confirmed” and said while there have been no announcements that there will be any deployment of agents in Contra Costa County, the county is closely monitoring the situation.

“These Federal actions undermine local authority, create an atmosphere of fear, and harm our communities by fostering distrust of government,” Gioia said.

He reminded followers that the Stand Together Contra Costa Rapid Response Team can provide support, resources and legal help. (Their hotline is 925-900-5151.)

In a joint statement posted on Facebook, Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez and City Manager Shasa Curl also said they are closely monitoring the situation.

“City leadership is in active communication with our regional and state partners, our congressional office, and our community and nonprofit organizations. We have dedicated staff capacity to stay informed and responsive to new developments, and to engage directly with community organizations serving our most vulnerable residents. In line with City Council’s direction, we have allocated resources to community organizations providing legal assistance and public information to support residents as this situation develops.”

Earlier this month, the city announced it has awarded three contracts to organizations to do immigrant rights’ work, including community outreach, engagement, and education efforts to raise awareness, alongside direct legal services. These legal services will cover both affirmative immigration support —such as helping residents apply for visas, green cards, or citizenship — as well as removal defense for individuals facing deportation.

The West Contra Costa Unified School District has a resource page for families with immigration concerns.

It reiterates the district’s commitment to providing a “safe and inclusive learning environment for all students,” pointing to its  anti-racism policy and Resolution No. 2425-54 In Support of all our Students, Staff and Families Regardless of Race, Gender Identity, Gender Expression, Sexual Orientation, or Immigration Status, which outlines the following key protections for immigration matters:

• Protection of Student and Family Information: District employees, personnel, and contractors are prohibited from sharing personal information about students or their families, including immigration status, with immigration authorities. This includes any data systems. FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) and HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) are longstanding federal laws that further protect student data. 

Berkeley Mayor Adena Ishii and City Manager Paul Buddenhagen told Berkeleyside that officials believe federal authorities are planning to “conduct operations within and around San Francisco, including East Bay cities.” Julie Sinai, a policy adviser to Ishii, told a reporter the statement was based on information city leaders have received from sources, whom she declined to identify.

Federal authorities have kept local officials in the dark about their plans, according to U.S. Rep. Lateefah Simon. In an interview Wednesday in Berkeley, where she attended Ishii’s State of the City address, Simon said it remains unclear whether the operation will target the East Bay.

“The Trump Administration has not been willing to be in communication with our local mayors or our governor, as [far as] I know,” Simon said. “So what we’re doing is, we’re coordinating with not only other elected officials — with community organizations, with faith-based leaders and faith-based institutions, and we’re spreading know-your-rights information.

“We have long been clear that the Trump Administration sees the West Coast and Democratic cities as threats, so we’re going to try to keep our people safe,” Simon added. “We’re going to continue following the law while he breaks the law, and we’ll uphold our Bay Area values.”

Alameda says police ‘not a part of this operation’

The city of Alameda issued a statement clarifying that its police department “is not a part of this operation, and APD does not enforce federal immigration laws or related civil warrants.”

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee and U.S. Congresswoman Lateefah Simon’s offices did not immediately respond to questions about the potential federal operation.

Rumors of some kind of large-scale immigration crackdown appears to have been first reported by a Youtuber who goes by “Hawk” on Wednesday. In a video, Hawk claimed to have spoken to someone with “close ties to the Coast Guard,” saying that 1,500 agents would be arriving at the Alameda Coast Guard base on Thur., Oct. 23. Also on Wednesday, someone posted on Reddit that ICE and CBP were planning an “invasion” of the Bay Area. Those claims do not appear to be true at this time.

Meanwhile, in Santa Clara County the Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to raise physical barriers and lock gates to prevent federal immigration agents from using county property for surveillance and arrests. The county plans to put up signs to warn U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents away from those properties. The county is following Chicago’s lead to block immigration enforcement without a court order. Santa Clara County has already expanded a plan to coordinate a counter-response to ICE raids by offering legal aid, shelter, food, child care and other assistance to immigrants.

Bay Area, west county residents to rally in opposition

Local immigrant advocacy groups have been planning for stepped up federal operations in the Bay Area. The group Bay Resistance has been holdings trainings in rapid response, community safety, and legal observing and learn about a mobilization plan for the day federal agents arrive. It has scheduled a rally for 5 p.m. today at the Embarcadero Plaza in San Francisco, saying “ICE has touched down and is gathering their forces. We are gathering to show united opposition and that we are ready.”

Tomorrow Indivisible West Contra Costa, which has been meeting every Friday at the corner of San Pablo Dam Road and Appian Way, plans to meet at 5 p.m. to march across the Appian Way bridge to the El Sobrante library, where the protest will officially take place, said member Kathy DeFabio. Protesters will march back and forth across the bridge for an hour, she said, adding that some members also plan to attend the rally in San Francisco.

There will be a press conference and rally hosted by faith-based groups at noon today at San Francisco’s City Hall.

According to a press release, they plan to release a joint statement signed by more than 150 organizations demanding that Trump keep federal troops out of the bay.

Jewish Vote for Peace says it, “…will join in this broad coalition to denounce the violence and damage the invasions of American cities have unleashed on working people, immigrant families and local economies, and will pledge to stand united to protect each other from harm.” Immigrant rights leaders will share critical know-your-rights information resources and ways for Bay residents to join non-violent mass mobilizations and take action in their own neighborhoods in solidarity with their immigrant neighbors. “

The Associated Press and Richmondside and Berkeleyside staff contributed to this report. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.