"Major federal immigration operation headed to San Francisco Bay Area" (SF Chronicle) reported by Matthias Gafni and Michael Barba
The Trump administration has dispatched more than 100 federal agents, including from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, to Coast Guard Base Alameda and they will begin to arrive Thursday, according to a source familiar with the operation.
After the Chronicle broke the above story informed by an anonymous source, the Coast Guard confirmed with a public statement that also is now being further reported on by The Oaklandside, The New York Times, and SF Standard.
"There are media reports of federal agents dispatched to the Bay Area" release from the City of Alameda
Bay Area news media are reporting that more than 100 federal agents, including from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, have been dispatched to Coast Guard Base Alameda and will begin arriving tomorrow, Thursday, October 23. The Alameda Police Department (APD) is not a part of this operation, and APD does not enforce federal immigration laws or related civil warrants.
If you witness Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity or need assistance, call the Alameda County Immigration Legal and Education Partnership (ACILEP) at 510-241-4011 for rapid response and immigration legal services.
Everyone has the right to peacefully protest, but we urge people to avoid direct interaction with federal law enforcement. For resources and information about protecting your rights, please visit the City’s website: https://www.alamedaca.gov/rights
The City of Alameda is committed to the values of dignity, inclusivity, and respect for all individuals, regardless of ethnic or national origin, gender, race, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, or immigration status.
"U.S. Coast Guard operation run in Calif. seizes 100,000 pounds of cocaine" (SFGate) by Olivia Hebert
An operation running out of the United States Coast Guard Pacific Area, which is headquartered in Alameda, California, has seized more than 100,000 pounds of cocaine in the Eastern Pacific Ocean since August, officials announced.
Operation Pacific Viper has become one of the agency’s largest maritime drug busts to date, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a Tuesday news release. The operation involved 34 interdictions, or the interception of vessels, and the apprehension of 86 individuals suspected narco-trafficking.
“The Coast Guard’s seizure of over 100,000 pounds of cocaine, in such a short timeframe, is a remarkable achievement,” said Rear Adm. Jeffrey Novak, the deputy commander of the U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area.
This other recent article from just the other week provides an illuminating contrast: that is what the Coast Guard service members based out of Alameda do. They serve as law-enforcement officers of waterways, coasts, and oceans — ready to help, ready to search and rescue, and ready to enforce laws — with skills and confidence to simply stop and board suspicious vessels (rather than shoot 'em from the sky as if the world is a big video game).
"Reminder on AUSD's Protocols for ICE and Federal Law Enforcement Activity" from Alameda Unified superintendent Pasquale Scuderi
Everyone who may need this will get it directly, but residents without kids have mentioned that they've appreciated when this blog sometimes shares the school district's competent communication, so I'll reprint this in its entirety (with my own emphasis added in bold):
We are hearing some reports of potential federal action (including Custom Border Protection) in Alameda this week. We are aware this is triggering concerns among AUSD families, staff, and students.
While we have not yet received verification or confirmation that ICE agents will be in our community, we want to remind everyone that AUSD is committed to protecting the rights of all of our students and staff — regardless of their immigration or citizenship status — and we are committed to maintaining safe and protected campuses. We are working hard to verify, confirm, and monitor the latest information.
We have protocols for responding to ICE agents/federal law enforcement if they come to one of our campuses, and we have trained our school leaders in those protocols.
We will also continue to follow all state and federal laws that require us to:
• Protect the right of all children — regardless of citizenship, immigration status, or the immigration status of their parents —to attend school
• Protect the right of all students to be free from discrimination, harassment, violence, and intimidation while at school
We understand these are difficult times.
Please know that we are doing everything we can to keep all students and staff safe.
We ask that you help us with this by reporting directly to a principal or to AUSD direct if you see ICE agents or federal law enforcement activity at or near a school campus.
You can also call the Alameda County Immigration Legal and Education Partnership (ACILEP) at 510-241-4011 for rapid response and immigration legal services.
At the same time, we have to ask our community to also be thoughtful about what they post online and what they read and believe online about potential ICE visits. Inaccurate information can cause unnecessary panic across the community and disproportionately impact families most vulnerable in these situations.
And we are all safer and more effective when we are responding to what’s actually happening than we are when we are chasing after and reacting to inaccurate information or even misinformation.
Our well being as a community is the sum total of our efforts to look out for and care for one another consistently. And in these times we assure you that our school leadership teams will do their part to both adhere to and implement our protective and legal protocols, as well as lead with care and compassion for all.