The San Francisco Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) headquarters experienced a shutdown on Tuesday afternoon as a group of approximately 30 protesters gathered to block the transfer of detained immigrants.
The incident unfolded after news broke about two immigrants who had been arrested earlier in Concord that morning.
At around 1:58 p.m., protesters amassed around the northern gate of the headquarters located at 630 Sansome St.
Simultaneously, an escorted, unmarked, tinted white van reversed through the building’s rising garage door, which activists believed was transporting the arrested immigrants into the facility.
Witnesses noted that the protesters, many of whom were wearing masks, directed heated slogans towards the agents standing by the entrance, shouting “Fuck you Nazis!” and “Get out of our fucking city!” as the van entered the building.
Shortly after, several unmarked vehicles escorted by federal police approached the area, causing tensions to escalate.
Approximately 10 federal officers engaged in scuffles with protesters as they attempted to clear a pathway, employing batons to push the demonstrators back.
The protest intensified as demonstrators threw cones in front of the vehicles to prevent their movement.
Reports indicated that at least one protester claimed to have been struck on the head by a police baton amid the pushing and shoving as federal agents sought to create a path for their vehicles.
While the officers retreated to the ICE office, protesters continued to express their disdain, yelling “Fuck you!” and “Go back to your pigpen!” at the agents.
The protests began to coalesce slowly over the previous hour, following an alert regarding the detentions in Concord that circulated among organizing groups.
Milli Atkinson, the director of the Immigrant Legal Defense Program at the Bar Association of San Francisco, confirmed that two immigrants had been detained in Concord before their transfer to the ICE processing facility.
According to Sanika Mahajan, an organizer with Mission Action and the Rapid Response Network, the arrests occurred around 10 a.m., and calls for organizing a protest at the San Francisco ICE headquarters were disseminated just after noon.
During the protest, a demonstrator filmed Mayor Daniel Lurie as he exited his black Rivian vehicle a short distance from the ICE office.
The protester inquired if he would join the crowd outside 630 Sansome and expressed concerns about the ongoing ICE detentions.
Lurie responded by stating he was in communication with the Rapid Response Network before walking away after a brief interaction.
Although Lurie has refrained from direct criticism of President Donald Trump, he has recognized the heightened anxiety experienced by immigrant communities across the city.
In the wake of the confrontation, several employees were seen exiting the ICE building.
Around 2:40 p.m., protests intensified with about 20 individuals picketing the front entrance, chanting slogans like “ICE, ICE, get out the Bay! Get out the Bay, get out the Bay!”
In response to the escalating demonstration, ICE agents posted “Closed” signs at the entrance of the building.
By 3:10 p.m., the demonstration concluded, and protesters began to disperse from the area.
According to local news outlet Mission Local, over two dozen individuals have been arrested by ICE in San Francisco in recent weeks, a figure that immigration attorneys argue is likely an undercount.
The arrests on Tuesday occurred two weeks after four people were detained at San Francisco’s immigration courthouse at 100 Montgomery St., with another 15 individuals apprehended just two weeks prior to that.
Despite the absence of arrests reported at the courthouse that day, several protesters started to mobilize towards the 100 Montgomery building after 3 p.m. to ensure continued vigilance.
image source from：missionlocal
