Alameda County is on the verge of establishing "ICE-free zones" in a bid to counter the immigration enforcement measures enforced under the Trump administration. In a report by KTVU, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors will soon vote on a proposal to prevent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from using county-owned properties for its operations. Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas described the proposal's intention, saying, "This proposal for ICE-free zones will ensure that parking lots, parking garages, vacant lots, non public areas of our buildings cannot be used for federal immigration enforcement."
The move comes as part of a growing regional effort to restrict ICE activities, with similar policies already adopted by Santa Clara County and the City of San Jose. "Since Trump took office for the second time, he has made it clear that he has a mass deportation agenda," Supervisor Fortunato Bas told ABC7News. She also noted the need to respond effectively to any escalation in ICE actions in Alameda County.
During the committee meeting, District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson and Alameda County Sheriff Yesenia Sanchez expressed their support for the policies. "I've made it very clear that we do not accept civil detainers at our facility at the jail. We only accept criminal warrants," Sheriff Sanchez stated, as per KTVU's coverage. Substantial community concern has arisen, particularly after reports of recent ICE activity in Alameda and Fremont, reinforcing the push for creating ICE-restricted zones.
Ensuring due process is also a significant concern highlighted by Supervisor Fortunato Bas. With the San Francisco immigration court closed, care must be taken not to inadvertently deprive people of their right to a fair hearing. "Now, without immigration judges, with the San Francisco immigration court being closed, contact with ICE- we have to be very careful about because we have to ensure that due process,” she explained in an interview with ABC7News.
The proposal includes measures such as posting signs at county buildings, requiring ICE agents to identify themselves, and training county employees not to disclose immigrant status to ICE. Hospitals would ask ICE agents to leave rooms during patient care and exams. Classroom protections are also vital, according to Oakland School Board Vice President Valarie Bachelor, who emphasized the need for ensuring that "many of our community members go to court, go to hospitals, go to our community centers every day. And to have these places be free of such a terror, that is ICE, is crucial to ensuring those services get to the people who need it the most," as she conveyed to ABC7News.
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