In recent weeks, more than twenty immigrants with active cases in San Francisco — including three families with young children — have been detained by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to Mission Action, which oversees San Francisco’s Rapid Response Network (SFRRN). Some were arrested during routine check-ins, while others were detained in courthouse hallways after their hearings.
These arrests are a result of what advocates call targeted enforcement: arrests based on immigration history or prior contact with federal agencies. But the scale and speed of the detentions has concerned many attorneys, particularly the arrests of asylum seekers and families with children complying with ICE procedures.
“We’re just shocked by the level of detention and the people that were targeted,” said Milli Atkinson, director of the Immigrant Legal Defense Program with the Justice and Diversity Center of the Bar Association of San Francisco. “These are individuals who are trying to comply with the rules.”
In late May, the Trump administration raised ICE’s daily arrest quotas from 1,800 to 3,000. Since then, attorneys nationwide have reported a surge in detentions at ICE field offices and inside courthouses. In some cases, attorneys say, immigrants received mass text messages asking them to show up to appointments ahead of schedule, only to be detained when they complied.
As detentions and protests continue, it can be hard to understand what’s going on. To answer questions you might have, El Tecolote talked to immigration attorneys about recent arrests in San Francisco and how they connect to broader trends across the country.
Why are immigrants getting detained in courthouses?
When ICE agents arrested four people outside San Francisco’s immigration court on May 28, immigrant rights groups sounded the alarm. Ali Saidi, a lawyer with the Contra Costa Immigrant Rights Alliance said such arrests were once rare in the city, but now appear to be part of a coordinated national effort.
Across the country, attorneys report that ICE is attempting to place asylum seekers who have been in the U.S. for less than two years into expedited removal, a fast-track deportation process that bypasses immigration court and limits access to legal protections.
As part of this strategy, a recent Department of Justice memo obtained by NBC news instructs judges to dismiss pending immigration cases, allowing ICE to swiftly detain people in court hallways and then move to fast-track their deportations.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has stated that people with “valid credible fear claims” will be able to continue their immigration proceedings, while others will be subject to “swift deportations.”
Attorneys like Atkinson, however, worry that conditions in detention centers could push people to abandon viable claims.
“When people are detained, they’re less likely to find an attorney,” she said. “They’re less likely to want to continue fighting, because they don’t want to be detained. They don’t wanna be separated from their family.”
Though San Francisco judges have reportedly rejected some DHS dismissal requests, ICE has still detained at least eight people outside their hearings in recent weeks.
Some detainees, Atkinson said, are being transferred to detention centers in areas where ICE can assign them to new judges who may be less sympathetic to their cases, allowing ICE to put them in expedited removal proceedings.
What about arrests during ICE check-in appointments?
Many immigrants in ongoing proceedings are required to attend regular check-ins at ICE field offices as part of the Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program, which may also include ankle monitors or GPS surveillance. As of December 2024, more than 187,000 immigrants were enrolled in ATD under the San Francisco Field Office, which oversees 15 Northern California counties.
While ICE has long had discretion to detain people with final removal orders, Atkinson said the agency previously worked with families to arrange voluntary departures. Now, some attorneys report that people are being detained without notice, even before being informed of a final ruling in their case.
“It’s really hard to know if people will be detained or not, because they change their policies every day and who they target,” Atkinson said. “But it’s easier for [ICE] to have people come into their office and arrest them than for them to go into the community.”
When the arrest of 15 immigrants at check-in appointments made headlines two weeks ago, ICE told KRON4 that those detained had final orders of removal issued by an immigration judge. However, legal advocates who have spoken with some of these immigrants say some of those arrested were still in active proceedings and did not expect to be taken into custody.
What options do immigrants have?
As arrests continue, immigrants with active cases face an impossible choice: skipping court hearings or ICE check-ins could trigger a removal order, while showing up may lead to detention.
Because every immigration case is different, legal advocacy groups urge individuals to consult an attorney to assess their options and plan ahead. Depending on their circumstances, a lawyer can help request a virtual hearing, challenge a removal order or pursue their release if they are detained.
Local Rapid Response Hotlines can connect individuals with free legal consultations and trusted attorneys – San Francisco’s is (415)-200-1548. Some nonprofits, like La Raza Community Resource Center, offer drop-in legal services or referrals to reputable immigration lawyers.
Immigrants are also encouraged to avoid attending hearings or check-ins alone, by bringing a trusted person or asking for accompaniment from the Rapid Response Network.
“If you are detained, the quicker we can get to you and the more information we have about you in your case, the more we can [provide help so] you understand what your rights are, what you should do and what your options are,” Atkinson said.
Advocates also urge parents with children to make family preparedness plans. This includes identifying a caretaker and notifying ICE of medical or humanitarian considerations if they are detained.
What has happened to the people who were recently detained?
Many of those detained have been transferred to detention centers like the Dilley Family Detention Center in Texas or the Golden State Annex in California’s Central Valley, according to attorneys familiar with their cases.
Several of their family members have publicly shared their relatives’ stories, seeking community support.
Yaneth, a Bay Area resident, said her sister, who ICE had previously required to wear an ankle monitor, was arrested on June 4 along with her two children, ages 5 and 10. The family, Yaneth said, spent the night sleeping on the floor of a holding cell inside San Francisco’s ICE field office. They are now being held at a detention center in South Texas, according to ICE’s detainee locator.
Carolina P., a Guatemalan asylum seeker, was reportedly detained on June 3 and is now being held in Arizona. Her husband is raising funds to cover legal fees and support their two children, ages five and ten, according to a GoFundMe organized by staff from the Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights (LCCR). With the funds, Carolina has been able to secure legal counsel in Arizona, said Raya Steier, LCCR communications manager.
In Livermore, the arrest of Miguel López during a check-in San Francisco on May 27, has galvanized community support. The 46-year-old father of three, who has a pending case, was deported to Mexico in early June, and his family has raised nearly $50,000 to support his legal fight and bring him home.
Amid news of arrests, in San Francisco, advocates have successfully shut down immigration buildings for the day, seeking to prevent additional detentions. But as higher ICE quotas for arrests loom, Atkinson said these enforcement actions are likely to increase.
“This is just the beginning,” she said. “And we just want community to know that they’re not alone. There’s a lot of people working to make sure that their rights are protected and that they don’t disappear.”
