The demonstrations follow others in Los Angeles, where President Trump has deployed the National Guard.
SAN JOSE — Hundreds of people gathered Monday evening in San Jose, Oakland and San Francisco to protest deportation efforts by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as well as to stand in solidarity with protesters in Southern California.
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 California 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.
San Jose City Councilmember Pamela Campos was one of several speakers who addressed the crowd.
“We are experiencing an attack on our community,” 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,” she 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.
Across the Bay in San Francisco, hundreds of people gathered for a second day in a row to rally against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. The demonstration started near 24th Street and moved down Mission Street to the sound of chants and drumbeats.
As of 7 p.m., the protest remained peaceful unlike one the previous day that ended in violence and the arrest of 148 people. Two police officers were injured, Muni buses were vandalized and store windows were broken in Sunday’s demonstration.
“I understand why people are out on the streets,” San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said. “The tactics being used across the country to target immigrant communities are meant to instill fear. Those tactics make members of our community less likely to work with law enforcement to report crimes and criminals. They make people afraid to go to work or send their kids to school. That all makes our city less safe.”
Back in San Jose, speaker after speaker urged attendees to do more than just protest.
“We have to make sure that we change the rules to the game,” said Santa Clara County Supervisor Sylvia Arenas, recalling her history as a daughter of immigrants and a resident of East Side San Jose.
“You have to go into City Hall,” she said, “you have to go in: when you go in as a group you have so much power.”
In between speeches, the crowd broke into chants including “No justice! No peace! No ICE! No police!”
Speakers also called out the city’s policies on homelessness, arguing that there was inadequate housing for individuals faced with the choice of getting caught in an encampment sweep or accepting shelter. A skit lampooning the issue ended with a man in a Batman costume demanding that the city instead build additional housing.
“So many of us have so many closed doors,” protest participant Misrayn Mendoza said in Spanish. “How are you going to criminalize people when there’s no access?”
Others pointed to a lack of housing and shelter options for people with disabilities.
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan pushed back against the criticism in a statement Monday night.
“On the issue of accountability on homelessness and immigration, I want to be very clear: those attempting to conflate the issue are doing so for their own purposes –not for the good of anyone in this community,” he said. “Let’s listen to each other, work to understand the issues and avoid fear-mongering as we work to pass a budget that builds out the shelter system we need and provides legal support to our immigrant communities.”
Mahan also urged protest participants to remain peaceful.
“San Jose is — and always will be — a welcoming city,” he said. “We here at City Hall support the right to protest peacefully. While our residents do so, I want to remind everyone that we must stay peaceful because violence undermines our ability to keep everyone safe — documented and undocumented. And it will invite an outsized response from those who want to make an example out of Californians and our values.”
Edgar Quiroz Medrano, 36, of San Jose, said that he came to the protest to stand in solidarity with all immigrant communities.
“We’re here to show that we are united,” he said, “that we are cohesive, that we are going to fight for our rights, that we’re going to fight for each other, that we’re going to back each other up.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates. Bay City News contributed to this report.
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SAN JOSE — Hundreds of people gathered Monday evening in San Jose, Oakland and San Francisco to protest deportation efforts by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as well as to stand in solidarity with protesters in Southern California.
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 California 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.
San Jose City Councilmember Pamela Campos was one of several speakers who addressed the crowd.
“We are experiencing an attack on our community,” 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,” she 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.
Across the Bay in San Francisco, hundreds of people gathered for a second day in a row to rally against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. The demonstration started near 24th Street and moved down Mission Street to the sound of chants and drumbeats.
As of 7 p.m., the protest remained peaceful unlike one the previous day that ended in violence and the arrest of 148 people. Two police officers were injured, Muni buses were vandalized and store windows were broken in Sunday’s demonstration.
“I understand why people are out on the streets,” San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said. “The tactics being used across the country to target immigrant communities are meant to instill fear. Those tactics make members of our community less likely to work with law enforcement to report crimes and criminals. They make people afraid to go to work or send their kids to school. That all makes our city less safe.”
Back in San Jose, speaker after speaker urged attendees to do more than just protest.
“We have to make sure that we change the rules to the game,” said Santa Clara County Supervisor Sylvia Arenas, recalling her history as a daughter of immigrants and a resident of East Side San Jose.
“You have to go into City Hall,” she said, “you have to go in: when you go in as a group you have so much power.”
In between speeches, the crowd broke into chants including “No justice! No peace! No ICE! No police!”
Speakers also called out the city’s policies on homelessness, arguing that there was inadequate housing for individuals faced with the choice of getting caught in an encampment sweep or accepting shelter. A skit lampooning the issue ended with a man in a Batman costume demanding that the city instead build additional housing.
“So many of us have so many closed doors,” protest participant Misrayn Mendoza said in Spanish. “How are you going to criminalize people when there’s no access?”
Others pointed to a lack of housing and shelter options for people with disabilities.
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan pushed back against the criticism in a statement Monday night.
“On the issue of accountability on homelessness and immigration, I want to be very clear: those attempting to conflate the issue are doing so for their own purposes –not for the good of anyone in this community,” he said. “Let’s listen to each other, work to understand the issues and avoid fear-mongering as we work to pass a budget that builds out the shelter system we need and provides legal support to our immigrant communities.”
Mahan also urged protest participants to remain peaceful.
“San Jose is — and always will be — a welcoming city,” he said. “We here at City Hall support the right to protest peacefully. While our residents do so, I want to remind everyone that we must stay peaceful because violence undermines our ability to keep everyone safe — documented and undocumented. And it will invite an outsized response from those who want to make an example out of Californians and our values.”
Edgar Quiroz Medrano, 36, of San Jose, said that he came to the protest to stand in solidarity with all immigrant communities.
“We’re here to show that we are united,” he said, “that we are cohesive, that we are going to fight for our rights, that we’re going to fight for each other, that we’re going to back each other up.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates. Bay City News contributed to this report.
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