Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf looks on during an assembly at Edna Brewer Middle School on Jan. 19, 2018 in Oakland, California. (Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Feb 28, 2018
In spite of calls for her arrest by right-wing news outlets and Twitter users, the mayor of Oakland, California is standing by her decision last weekend to warn undocumented residents about raids federal immigration agents had planned for the Northern part of the state.
"As advocates, we took [the warning] very seriously. When do you hear a mayor of a big city announcing that an ICE attack is going to happen? Never."
--Maricela Gutierrez, SIREN
Mayor Libby Schaaf, a Democrat, tweeted Saturday evening that she had "learned from multiple credible sources that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)" was planning to act on previous threats from the agency and start raids in Northern California "within the next 24 hours."
Sure enough, three days of raids kicked off on Sunday--captured by Fox News in exclusive ride-along coverage--with ICE arresting more than 150 people.
However, hundreds of other immigrants targeted by ICE were not apprehended, which acting director Thomas Homan attributed partly to what he called "the mayor's irresponsible decision." Homan, known for his xenophobic rhetoric, claimed in a statement that "864 criminal aliens and public safety threats remain at large in the community." In an interview with Fox & Friends, he attacked Schaaf again, and said the Justice Department is looking into whether she obstructed justice.
Meanwhile, Schaaf--who declared last month that she would go to jail to defend Oakland's sanctuary city policies--maintains that she does not regret her actions and believes "our city is safer when we share information that leads to community awareness."
\u201cI do not regret sharing this information. It is Oakland\u2019s legal right to be a sanctuary city and we have not broken any laws. We believe our community is safer when families stay together.\u201d— Libby Schaaf (@Libby Schaaf) 1519789264
Reporters for the San Francisco Chroniclenoted that this marked an escalation in local resistance to President Donald Trump's deportation agenda, writing that Schaaf's warning "was among the most assertive maneuvers by a local politician to counter the Trump administration's crackdown on undocumented immigrants. The message: Not only will Oakland and its police force not cooperate with ICE, but the city will actively seek to thwart efforts to detain and deport immigrants."
California's Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom expressed his support, and said Schaaf's action could even serve as inspiration for other local leaders: "We can and must protect immigrant families from Donald Trump's mass deportations. I want to thank Mayor Schaaf for her courage and hope more local leaders will follow her lead."
Maricela Gutierrez, executive director of the immigrant rights group SIREN, told the Washington Post that although Schaaf's announcement caused some panic, "As advocates, we took [the warning] very seriously. When do you hear a mayor of a big city announcing that an ICE attack is going to happen? Never. If she's saying that, it must be true."
"It really created a mass mobilization," Gutierrez added, explaining that advocates were able to distribute information about legal resources to undocumented members of the community.
\u201c\ud83d\udea8 KNOW YOUR RIGHTS \ud83d\udea8\u201d— Gabe Ort\u00edz (@Gabe Ort\u00edz) 1519593423
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
In spite of calls for her arrest by right-wing news outlets and Twitter users, the mayor of Oakland, California is standing by her decision last weekend to warn undocumented residents about raids federal immigration agents had planned for the Northern part of the state.
"As advocates, we took [the warning] very seriously. When do you hear a mayor of a big city announcing that an ICE attack is going to happen? Never."
--Maricela Gutierrez, SIREN
Mayor Libby Schaaf, a Democrat, tweeted Saturday evening that she had "learned from multiple credible sources that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)" was planning to act on previous threats from the agency and start raids in Northern California "within the next 24 hours."
Sure enough, three days of raids kicked off on Sunday--captured by Fox News in exclusive ride-along coverage--with ICE arresting more than 150 people.
However, hundreds of other immigrants targeted by ICE were not apprehended, which acting director Thomas Homan attributed partly to what he called "the mayor's irresponsible decision." Homan, known for his xenophobic rhetoric, claimed in a statement that "864 criminal aliens and public safety threats remain at large in the community." In an interview with Fox & Friends, he attacked Schaaf again, and said the Justice Department is looking into whether she obstructed justice.
Meanwhile, Schaaf--who declared last month that she would go to jail to defend Oakland's sanctuary city policies--maintains that she does not regret her actions and believes "our city is safer when we share information that leads to community awareness."
\u201cI do not regret sharing this information. It is Oakland\u2019s legal right to be a sanctuary city and we have not broken any laws. We believe our community is safer when families stay together.\u201d— Libby Schaaf (@Libby Schaaf) 1519789264
Reporters for the San Francisco Chroniclenoted that this marked an escalation in local resistance to President Donald Trump's deportation agenda, writing that Schaaf's warning "was among the most assertive maneuvers by a local politician to counter the Trump administration's crackdown on undocumented immigrants. The message: Not only will Oakland and its police force not cooperate with ICE, but the city will actively seek to thwart efforts to detain and deport immigrants."
California's Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom expressed his support, and said Schaaf's action could even serve as inspiration for other local leaders: "We can and must protect immigrant families from Donald Trump's mass deportations. I want to thank Mayor Schaaf for her courage and hope more local leaders will follow her lead."
Maricela Gutierrez, executive director of the immigrant rights group SIREN, told the Washington Post that although Schaaf's announcement caused some panic, "As advocates, we took [the warning] very seriously. When do you hear a mayor of a big city announcing that an ICE attack is going to happen? Never. If she's saying that, it must be true."
"It really created a mass mobilization," Gutierrez added, explaining that advocates were able to distribute information about legal resources to undocumented members of the community.
\u201c\ud83d\udea8 KNOW YOUR RIGHTS \ud83d\udea8\u201d— Gabe Ort\u00edz (@Gabe Ort\u00edz) 1519593423
In spite of calls for her arrest by right-wing news outlets and Twitter users, the mayor of Oakland, California is standing by her decision last weekend to warn undocumented residents about raids federal immigration agents had planned for the Northern part of the state.
"As advocates, we took [the warning] very seriously. When do you hear a mayor of a big city announcing that an ICE attack is going to happen? Never."
--Maricela Gutierrez, SIREN
Mayor Libby Schaaf, a Democrat, tweeted Saturday evening that she had "learned from multiple credible sources that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)" was planning to act on previous threats from the agency and start raids in Northern California "within the next 24 hours."
Sure enough, three days of raids kicked off on Sunday--captured by Fox News in exclusive ride-along coverage--with ICE arresting more than 150 people.
However, hundreds of other immigrants targeted by ICE were not apprehended, which acting director Thomas Homan attributed partly to what he called "the mayor's irresponsible decision." Homan, known for his xenophobic rhetoric, claimed in a statement that "864 criminal aliens and public safety threats remain at large in the community." In an interview with Fox & Friends, he attacked Schaaf again, and said the Justice Department is looking into whether she obstructed justice.
Meanwhile, Schaaf--who declared last month that she would go to jail to defend Oakland's sanctuary city policies--maintains that she does not regret her actions and believes "our city is safer when we share information that leads to community awareness."
\u201cI do not regret sharing this information. It is Oakland\u2019s legal right to be a sanctuary city and we have not broken any laws. We believe our community is safer when families stay together.\u201d— Libby Schaaf (@Libby Schaaf) 1519789264
Reporters for the San Francisco Chroniclenoted that this marked an escalation in local resistance to President Donald Trump's deportation agenda, writing that Schaaf's warning "was among the most assertive maneuvers by a local politician to counter the Trump administration's crackdown on undocumented immigrants. The message: Not only will Oakland and its police force not cooperate with ICE, but the city will actively seek to thwart efforts to detain and deport immigrants."
California's Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom expressed his support, and said Schaaf's action could even serve as inspiration for other local leaders: "We can and must protect immigrant families from Donald Trump's mass deportations. I want to thank Mayor Schaaf for her courage and hope more local leaders will follow her lead."
Maricela Gutierrez, executive director of the immigrant rights group SIREN, told the Washington Post that although Schaaf's announcement caused some panic, "As advocates, we took [the warning] very seriously. When do you hear a mayor of a big city announcing that an ICE attack is going to happen? Never. If she's saying that, it must be true."
"It really created a mass mobilization," Gutierrez added, explaining that advocates were able to distribute information about legal resources to undocumented members of the community.
\u201c\ud83d\udea8 KNOW YOUR RIGHTS \ud83d\udea8\u201d— Gabe Ort\u00edz (@Gabe Ort\u00edz) 1519593423
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.