Chicago and Portland are the new front lines of violent ICE activity — and federal agents’ escalations in the streets, in homes, and in businesses are now sources of key intel for activists in San Francisco.
The initial takeaway: Stay the course, but prepare for the worst.
The last five months has seen a critical mass of protesters grow at San Francisco Immigration Court at 100 Montgomery St. and ICE headquarters at 630 Sansome St. The effort to patrol and disrupt ICE activity initially focused on Tuesdays, then expanded to Fridays and other weekdays in August to follow ICE’s schedules. The momentum has led to a decentralized network of people who receive tips of ICE action and rapidly mobilize to the immigration centers.
At Tuesday’s gathering outside 630 Sansome, multiple protesters told me that they believe the pressure has not just stymied the pace of ICE operations, but prevented abductions outright. (All asked to remain anonymous for their safety.)
One protester claimed that no immigrant has been detained at 100 Montgomery for the last five weeks. In addition, they noted that it has been more than three months since anyone was detained on a Tuesday at the immigration court.
“That means we’ve had some time to think about how to expand and get ready for the next wave of ICE operations to hit San Francisco,” they said. “We know the enforcement budget will increase significantly due to Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill.’ So we’ve been refining and improving our plans.
“The activity in Chicago is concerning, but that’s why it’s been important to keep acting and learning every single week in SF.”
The brutal attacks on civilians in Chicago has become a case study for local protesters as the White House continues targeting Democrat-led cities with a history of sanctuary policies. Unlike what’s unfolded in San Francisco, where the enforcement has focused on the city’s immigration facilities, Chicago actions have taken place in all manner of locations, from sidewalks to restaurants to warehouses. In one recent case, a Chicagoan was choked and tackled while criticizing an officer to his face.
The violence thus far in SF has involved protesters being thrown to the ground and getting hit with pepper balls or pepper gel (including me). Each attack has fueled more people to show up, and the tactics have grown more sophisticated, too.
One organizer that I met at the corner of Sansome and Jackson told me that on Tuesday, activists at Concord Immigration Court surveilled a vehicle leaving with a detainee. According to the organizer, someone followed the ICE convoy from Concord to San Francisco. They claimed that the convoy got as far as SoMa before turning around and heading to the freeway, possibly to dodge the tail.
Meanwhile, local protesters rushed from 100 Montgomery to block the convoy if it arrived at ICE headquarters, which is just 10 minutes away on foot. Ultimately, no vehicles showed up at 630 Sansome, which receives detainees from other immigration facilities in the Bay Area.
“I think what we’ve been doing is a very good model for what a larger-scale, city-wide resistance could look like,” the activist said. “We’ve learned that these federal agents are largely untrained, disorganized, not very smart. They’re not the same kind of threat as a police force. The lack of organization does make them more violent, which we’re looking out for. But people need to understand they’re inexperienced, scared, and vulnerable to counter-action.”
That counter-action can look like many different things. Some protesters have chosen to stand on the front line, physically attempting to block federal officers and using dumpsters, e-bikes, scooters and other objects to slow ICE vehicles. Some are accompanying immigrants to and from their court hearing, or providing legal advice.
Interfaith and community organizations, such as Multifaith Voices, have shown up to comfort people and provide translation services. The arts have a place, too: The Brass Liberation Orchestra performed at 100 Montgomery last week, and other performers (including clowns and a bagpiper) are continuing to be a joyful presence there.
As I left 630 Sansome, I met a protester in black surveilling passing cars a block away. They told me that the diversity of roles means that anyone can and should become part of the resistance.
“We need more people to get connected to folks who are tracking this escalation up close. The public needs to see how we’re taking care of business on the streets, how many are bravely showing up for the community,” they said. “The escalation is not a question of if, at this point. I believe it’s a question of when.”
The energy of people opposing immigration enforcement downtown stands in contrast to the relative inaction by city officials, including Mayor Daniel Lurie. While he has acknowledged the SF Rapid Response Network and attempted to take credit for some efforts, he has mostly remained quiet on Trump’s orders for mass deportation. Meanwhile, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has become outspoken on the issue. This week, he used an executive order to create “ICE Free Zones” in Chicago by prohibiting the use of city property in enforcement actions.
A major escalation might be the only thing that forces the hands of Lurie and the Board of Supervisors to be more confrontational, protesters said. For now, with little tangible support from local government and even suspicions that SF police are actually aiding ICE operations, activists on the ground are left to strategize largely on their own.
“It’s sad to see us have tactical failures and not be able to stop ICE. But being here, making them think twice, making them want to avoid engaging us — that’s a victory. It’s a victory felt by every person and family that comes to these facilities and gets home safely,” said the organizer.
“We have to dramatically increase the cost of every single deportation in SF. Make the federal operation simply unsustainable. Make each deportation cost as much time and energy as the one today.”
