SAN JOSE — Hundreds of people gathered Monday evening in San Jose and Oakland to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and stand in solidarity with protesters in Southern California.
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The demonstrations followed massive protests against ICE that erupted across Los Angeles over the weekend. On Saturday, President Donald Trump bypassed Governor Gavin Newsom to deploy 300 National Guard troops to assist ICE, a move that Newsom staunchly opposed. Leaders across the Bay Area decried the use of the military in response to the protests.
Earlier Monday, California Attorney General Rob Bonta confirmed plans to sue the federal government for deploying the National Guard in Los Angeles.
The protests also came on the heels of an uptick in immigration enforcement in some parts of the Bay Area. In San Jose on Friday, about 50 protestors marched in response to several immigration arrests in the city in the prior week.
Attendees at Monday’s protest in San Jose held signs proclaiming “abolish ICE” and “immigrants make America great!” as they stood along Santa Clara Street, where they received honks of support. Some played songs such as “Fortunate Son” and tracks from “Hamilton,” while others waved American and California state flags.
“We are experiencing an attack on our community,” San Jose City Councilmember Pamela Campos said in a speech. “We will counter Trump’s lies with the truth about our immigrant communities. And the fact is, immigrant families are the hardest working taxpayers in our country.”
Campos implored the crowd to “lead with compassion.”
“We know that those in power will use any pretext for a violent escalation,” Campos said.
In East Oakland, about two dozen people gathered at MacArthur Boulevard and High Street, waving signs declaring “stop the coup” and “dump Trump.” It marked the latest installment of a weekly gathering of neighbors at the intersection who have protested against the Trump administration.
“I worry about authoritarianism,” said Lisa Claxton, 50, who has helped organize the weekly gathering. She voiced concerns that the president’s mobilization of military forces would lead to “trumping up violence,” all to eventually suppress dissent.
Many speakers at the protest in San Jose lambasted the city’s new policies for dealing with unhoused individuals. Many pushed for the prioritization of housing and immigration support in the city’s new budget.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
