Immigration Enforcement
Federal immigration enforcement and the local response.
37 stories · 1 meeting summary · Aug 26, 2026 – Nov 7, 2026
Stories
Yesterday1 story →
S.F. retains ‘sole discretion’ to end contract that facilitates ICE use of city-owned garage
The 2022 contract for a city-owned downtown garage where Immigration and Customs Enforcement parks vehicles gives San Francisco "sole discretion" to end its agreement with the garage's private operator. The disclosure follows the city's request that federal officials remove ICE vehicles from the facility.
Wednesday, November 4, 20261 story →
ICE Detains 23-Year-Old UC Berkeley Student at San Francisco International Airport
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained 23-year-old Paula Albornoz Hernandez, a UC Berkeley student seeking asylum from Colombia, at San Francisco International Airport on Friday, her lawyer Nikolas De Bremaeker said. She was later moved to a detention facility in California City, and De Bremaeker said he filed a habeas petition arguing the arrest was unlawful.
Tuesday, November 3, 20261 story →
S.F. wants feds to ‘immediately remove’ ICE vehicles from city-owned garage
San Francisco's transportation agency is asking the federal government to immediately remove Immigration and Customs Enforcement vehicles from a city-owned downtown parking garage, Mission Local reports.
Saturday, October 31, 20261 story →
ICE vehicles parking in San Francisco-owned garage, possible violation of sanctuary law
The SFMTA confirmed that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has assigned parking spaces inside a city-owned garage a few blocks from the federal immigration office, Mission Local reports. The arrangement may violate San Francisco's sanctuary city law.
Tuesday, October 27, 20261 story →
SF Woman Sells Artwork Made In ICE Detention to Help Women She Met Inside
Iryna Gorb, a Ukrainian immigrant arrested by ICE at SFO in July and held for seven weeks, showed more than two dozen drawings from detention at a Nob Hill art show, SFist reports, citing the Chronicle. She is selling the work to help women still held at the California City processing center.
Sunday, October 25, 20261 story →
Meet the S.F. congressional candidates: Expand work visas and green card access?
Mission Local asked the candidates for Nancy Pelosi's House seat whether they would expand work visas and pathways to green cards. Their answers run as part of the outlet's candidate questionnaire series.
Thursday, October 22, 20261 story →
Man arrested by ICE faces domestic violence charge
Milton Ramos-Rodriguez, the man ICE agents arrested on Sixth Street on Monday, faces a domestic violence charge in San Francisco Superior Court, the Standard reports. His sister told the paper he has changed. ICE has said he was previously deported and has a voluntary manslaughter conviction.
Wednesday, October 21, 20263 stories →
SF Supervisors Seek $1.7 Million for Immigrant Services Amid ICE Surge
San Francisco supervisors are expected to vote on an additional $1.7 million for immigration services after a surge in enforcement around the Bay Area. Supervisor Jackie Fielder announced the ordinance Tuesday, a day after ICE detained Milton Ramos Rodriguez in SoMa; photos obtained by KQED show injuries from the arrest. Fielder said at City Hall that federal agents were being sent to "terrorize and intimidate vulnerable communities ahead of an election."
Groups say ICE has used excessive force during Bay Area arrests
Immigrant rights organizations said ICE agents have detained people with excessive force in recent days, leaving some injured and hospitalized. The San Francisco Rapid Response Network pointed to surveillance video of a Monday morning arrest in SoMa and reported a second detention in the Excelsior.
‘Separated from family and terrified’: Schiff raises alarm over SFO detention center
Sen. Adam Schiff said people held at the immigration detention facility at San Francisco International Airport are still unable to contact family members or attorneys.
Tuesday, October 20, 20262 stories →
‘I thought they were going to shoot him’: ICE agent draws gun on man in SoMa
Security footage from an apartment shows a man telling immigration agents he is a U.S. citizen, then appearing handcuffed on the ground minutes later, according to the Standard. An ICE agent drew his gun during the encounter in SoMa.
S.F. civil rights group sues for records on ‘mega’ immigration hearings
A San Francisco civil rights group has sued for records explaining why dozens of immigrants are being grouped into "mega master" immigration hearings, according to Mission Local. The lawsuit says the immigration courts have released no records on the practice.
Sunday, October 18, 20261 story →
AI-generated images of fake ICE raids go viral, terrifying immigrant communities
Highly realistic AI-generated images of fake immigration raids are spreading on private messaging platforms in the Bay Area. Immigrant communities are frightened by the images, which circulate during what the story calls "Operation Safe California."
Saturday, October 17, 20262 stories →
They free immigrants from ICE in hours. S.F. says wait a year.
The Bay Area Habeas Network, which files emergency petitions to free people arrested by immigration agents, often within hours, asked San Francisco in August for $250,000. The mayor's office says the request will be considered as part of next year's budget process, according to Mission Local.
S.F. educators have a new role: Getting families through ICE appointments
Educators from 20 San Francisco schools have been trained to accompany students and their families to immigration appointments, Mission Local reports. The practice began after immigration agents started arresting people who showed up for court dates.
Saturday, October 10, 20261 story →
Bay Area Man Found Not Guilty in ICE Assault Case
A jury on Friday found Caleb Alexander Ranney not guilty of assaulting an ICE officer and destroying federal property during a protest at the agency's San Francisco field office in August 2025. The trial centered on video of the confrontation outside 630 Sansome St. Ranney, a Pittsburg resident, had faced up to two years in prison.
Thursday, October 8, 20261 story →
Held for days at SFO, detained immigrants are cut off from their lawyers
Immigrants detained at San Francisco International Airport are held for days without contact with their attorneys, leaving them unable to file for release. The story describes a gap in legal access for people held at the airport.
Tuesday, October 6, 20262 stories →
How 3 Daughters Have Coped After ICE Detained Their Mother in San Francisco
Rosa, a mother of three who lives in San Francisco's Sunnydale neighborhood, was held for nearly 11 months at an immigration detention facility in Tacoma, Washington, before her release this spring. Her three daughters looked after themselves for almost a year, and KQED is not using her last name because she fears it could hurt her visa application and because she is a domestic violence victim.
Assembly staffer Ho Yin Mo released after more than two weeks in ICE detention
Ho Yin Mo, a Chinese-speaking aide in Assemblymember Catherine Stefani's San Francisco office, was released on Oct. 2 after an immigration judge granted him bail. Stefani's office called his Sept. 17 detention at a Las Vegas airport wrongful and said his immigration case continues.
Monday, October 5, 20261 story →
ICE frees SF lawmaker's aide on bond. But the deportation fight isn't over
Ho-Yin Mo, a former KTSF anchor who works in Assemblymember Catherine Stefani's San Francisco office, has been released from ICE custody after more than two weeks. He was detained at a Las Vegas airport on Sept. 17, and his immigration case continues.
Sunday, October 4, 20263 stories →
After a Year of ICE Detention, Struggles Linger as Family Reunites in San Francisco
A single mother of three in San Francisco's Sunnydale neighborhood returned home this spring after nearly 11 months in an immigration detention center in Tacoma, Washington. Her three daughters looked after themselves for almost a year while she was held, and the family is still dealing with the aftermath. KQED withheld her last name because she fears it could affect her pending visa application and because she is a domestic violence victim.
Sen. Padilla makes unannounced visit to SFO immigration holding site
Sen. Alex Padilla made an unannounced visit to a facility at San Francisco International Airport used to hold immigration detainees, entering after Customs and Border Protection officers let him in, according to KRON4. Padilla said his office had received reports of people detained at the airport and that the site is not a formal ICE detention facility.
Ho Yin Mo, California Assembly aide detained by ICE, is freed
Ho Yin Mo, a former KTSF anchor who works in Assemblymember Catherine Stefani's San Francisco office, was released after more than two weeks in federal immigration custody. "I'm excited to return to my work serving San Franciscans, who have shown time and again what community truly means," Mo said.
Saturday, October 3, 20263 stories →
After a Year of ICE Detention, Struggles Linger as Family Reunites in San Francisco
Rosa, a single mother of three who lives in San Francisco's Sunnydale neighborhood, was released this spring after nearly 11 months in an immigration detention facility in Tacoma, Washington, KQED reports. Her three daughters looked after themselves for almost a year while she was held. KQED is not using her last name because she fears it could hurt her pending visa application and because she is a domestic violence victim.
Ho Yin Mo, California Assembly aide detained by ICE, is freed
Ho Yin Mo, an aide to a California Assembly member, was freed after being detained by federal immigration agents. "I'm excited to return to my work serving San Franciscans, who have shown time and again what community truly means," Mo said.
Sen. Alex Padilla Makes Surprise Visit to SFO’s ICE Detention Center
Sen. Alex Padilla made an unannounced visit Thursday to the room at San Francisco International Airport where immigration agents hold people, KQED reports. Padilla said the airport has been pulled into the president's mass detention and deportation campaign. The room is a 3,000-square-foot windowless space in the International Terminal, according to a San Francisco Chronicle investigation last month.
Sunday, September 27, 20261 story →
Aide to San Francisco Lawmaker Fights for Release From Immigration Detention
Ho-Yin Mo, a Hong Kong-born field representative for Assemblymember Catherine Stefani, is being held at the Nevada Southern Detention Center in Pahrump after federal immigration agents arrested him at the Las Vegas airport. A Las Vegas immigration attorney is asking a judge to release him on bond and, if that fails, would challenge his detention in federal court, according to University of San Francisco law professor Bill Ong Hing. A hearing is scheduled for next week, according to former colleague Joe Arellano, and immigration court records do not show an open deportation case against Mo.
Thursday, September 24, 20261 story →
SF Mayor Daniel Lurie Intervenes, Requests Release of Stefani Staffer Detained By ICE
Mayor Daniel Lurie asked federal immigration officials to release Ho Yin Mo, a field representative for Assemblymember Catherine Stefani who was detained by ICE at Las Vegas last week, according to SFist. Mo, a Hong Kong national, is held at a detention center in Pahrump, Nevada.
Wednesday, September 23, 20261 story →
S.F. officials call for feds to release Ho Yin Mo, state aide detained by ICE
San Francisco elected officials are calling on federal immigration authorities to release Ho Yin Mo, an Assembly legislative aide detained by ICE. Mo, a former Chinese-language television anchor, works for Assemblymember Catherine Stefani and previously served as a field organizer for Mayor London Breed.
Tuesday, September 22, 20261 story →
How the Trump Administration Is Using SFO as a ‘De Facto Detention Center’
Customs and Border Protection has been detaining immigrants at San Francisco International Airport, in some cases for more than a week, and immigration arrests at airports have risen in recent months, according to reporting by the San Francisco Chronicle. KQED's Sara DiNatale described how the airport has become what the Chronicle calls a de facto detention center.
Monday, September 14, 20261 story →
How Trump’s Immigration Policies Can Leave Doctors Feeling Powerless
Doctors at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital say immigrant patients are putting off care out of fear of immigration enforcement, and that the resulting stress is making conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure worse. The Trump administration rolled back protections that kept immigration agents away from health care facilities and has sought to give ICE access to Medicaid data. A 2025 survey cited by KQED found 84% of health care workers who serve immigrants reported visits down substantially.
Monday, September 7, 20261 story →
Windowless room in SFO terminal is used for immigrant detention, lawyers say
World Journal reports that a windowless room in SFO's international terminal is used to hold people in immigration custody while they are in transit. Immigration lawyers and people who have been held there describe the room, officially called an in-transit lounge, as a jail.
Sunday, September 6, 20261 story →
San Francisco immigration court closes permanently; more than 110,000 cases move to Concord
The immigration court in San Francisco closed permanently on Sept. 4, with more than 110,000 pending cases mostly transferred to Concord. Immigration lawyers say the move could lengthen wait times and make court appearances harder for people living in San Francisco and the Peninsula.
Wednesday, September 2, 20261 story →
‘A form of torture’: SFO travelers grapple with hidden airport detention center
Immigrants at SFO, including green-card holders, have been held for more than a week in a little-known airport detention space, according to The San Francisco Standard. People passing through the terminal said they did not know the facility existed.
Sunday, August 30, 20261 story →
California Democrats Race to Ban Electric Shock Gloves Before ICE Buys Them
California Democrats are fast-tracking a bill to ban ICE and state and local officers from using electric shock gloves. Assembly Bill 2760, introduced by Assemblymember LaShae Sharp-Collins, would also block California police from buying the devices with state money. The bill follows ICE's plan to purchase thousands of the gloves.
Friday, August 28, 20261 story →
ICE Agent’s Gun Found at SFO the Day Before High-Profile Arrest of Ukrainian Woman
An ICE agent left a gun in a Terminal 2 restroom at San Francisco International Airport last month, the day before the arrest of Ukrainian immigrant Iryna Gorb. The agent returned to retrieve it while police were on scene, according to KQED.
Wednesday, August 26, 20261 story →
Activists urge SFO to limit ICE access, but airport officials say their hands are tied
Activists asked San Francisco airport officials to limit Immigration and Customs Enforcement access at SFO, but officials said they cannot. The airport commission rebuffed the calls.