Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers today tackled and marched off two protesters at around 3:25 p.m. outside San Francisco’s ICE field office at 630 Sansome St., after a nearly daylong standoff.
While around 10 protesters stood outside the ICE field office, two vans left the building at 3:18 p.m., protected by a dozen uniformed ICE officers. In the past, these vans have been used to transport immigrants from the holding center inside 630 Sansome St., to longer-term detention facilities elsewhere in the state or country.
The officers pointed less-lethal pepperball rifles and batons at protesters, and the vans successfully departed in under a minute.
Confrontations between protesters and ICE vans at 630 Sansome St. have resulted in violent clashes in the past, and immigration officers drove a van through protesters at San Francisco’s other immigration courthouse, 100 Montgomery St., on July 8. But today, the ICE agents retreated into the garage that they had just exited, disappearing under the closing door, seeming to mock protesters by waving goodbye and shaking what appeared to be pepper-spray cans, in a video obtained by Mission Local.
As some protesters dispersed, others continued yelling outside the garage door. Mission Local has not been able to obtain video of the next two minutes, but protesters who were present, and have asked to remain anonymous, report that ICE agents fired pepperballs under the garage door at approximately 3:21 p.m.
Shortly thereafter, video shows ICE agents sprinting out of the field office. One protester is swiftly tackled by an ICE officer, who then cuffs him with the help of another.
Another officer, wearing a vest belonging to the Enforcement and Removal Operations division of ICE, then pulls a female protester onto the ground, before cuffing her.
The ICE officers then brought the two protesters through the side door of 630 Sansome St., while other officers pointed Tasers at protesters who attempted to approach them.
According to one protester, Lea, the female protester was a San Francisco resident and a community organizer for homelessness support networks in the city. “It’s horrible,” Lea said. “She has a huge heart.”
They didn’t know the identity of the man who was detained, but worried about what would happen to both of them, once they were brought into federal custody.
“When it’s SFPD, we can expect 850 Bryant,” said Cebo, a protester who is now working to organize a rally in support of the two detained individuals. “But because it’s federal, we don’t know where they’ll go.”
By 7 p.m. Friday, both protesters had been released, but the conditions of their releases are not yet known.
ICE’s own policy states that, by law, “ICE cannot assert its civil immigration enforcement authority to arrest and/or detain a U.S. citizen.”
Mission Local attempted to reach ICE for comment, but has yet to receive any response.
Again, where’s the goddamned mayor?
Lurie obviously supports anti-Latino ICE raids in SF. Why else would he be so effing quiet about it? Same with starvation and genocide in Gaza. Not his problem! Not even lip service worthy.
We need more people out there regularly to really be effective, because ICE agents are emboldened when it’s small numbers like this. Tuesdays were the traditional day for people to come, but now it’s going to need to be nearly every morning to really stand against this.
Excellent footage, again. Thanks for the reporting.
The first two minutes are being left out as it shows the “peaceful” protestors dislodging the rollup door off its tracks.
Hey there! Do you have any video, or alternate way of confirming that this happened? Feel free to write me at my email, if so.
“Because it’s federal, we don’t know where they’ll go.”
They’ll be sent incommunicado to a foreign torture dungeon and never seen again, as arranged by Stephen Miller who is technically the White House Deputy Chief of Staff For Policy but in reality is Trump’s Gestapo Chief.
Arrogant cowards cover their faces while doing this, then go have lunch at a taqueria as civilians.
The time has come to stand against ICE fully, dealing with this threat to our communities with all due prejudice. Start taking ICE agents and detaining them.
Where is the part when they shoved the officers and kicked the door in?
“ICE’s own policy states that, by law, “ICE cannot assert its civil immigration enforcement authority to arrest and/or detain a U.S. citizen”. ”
Perhaps so but they can certainly take steps to defend themselves and/or use force in order to conduct their business. So clashes like this are going to happen if protesters try and impede the carrying out of their duties.
Ideally SFPD would be present and would take action to ensure that the federal officers can go about their business without let or hindrance. But perhaps SFPD is under political pressure to not get involved, meaning that ICE officers are on their own?
I’m glad to see these protestors get the opportunity to actually put their bodies on the line to showcase their belief that illegal immigrants should be allowed to take our jobs and housing.
One can’t be a martyr from one’s comfortable Marin County home. Martyrdom requires sacrifice.