A WEST OAKLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL and a preschool were placed on lockdown Wednesday and some children were sent home early in response to confirmed reports of federal immigration activity in the neighborhood.

Administrators at Hoover Elementary School on Brockhurst Street and the nearby Harriet Tubman Preschool initiated their “secure school protocol” sometime between 9 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. following reports that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were knocking on doors in the area.

ICE agents were last seen near the intersection of 31st and Market streets, according to Oakland Unified School District officials.

In addition to the lockdown, dozens of Oakland teachers and community members gathered on the sidewalks surrounding the Hoover campus in response to the ICE activity, which was reported by people calling the Alameda County Immigration Legal and Education Partnership rapid response hotline.

Oakland Education Association Secretary Olivia Udovic (left) and OEA Treasurer Vilma Serrano speak to reporters outside Hoover Elementary School in West Oakland on Wednesday after the school declared a lockdown in response to confirmed reports of nearby federal immigration enforcement activity. (Kiley Russell/Bay City News)

“At this point, there has been no confirmed presence or attempt to get on any school campus that we are aware of, but there is a beautiful community presence here at the elementary school and at the preschools nearby to help make sure the community knows and help them feel safe,” said Olivia Udovic, a kindergarten teacher and member of the Oakland Education Association teachers union.

“I think it’s just a real reminder of what a beautiful community Oakland is and how Oakland in hard times comes together and supports our neighbors,” Udovic said.

Another teacher and OEA member Vilma Serrano said a suspected ICE vehicle had been circling the area and she believes the agents inside might have been discouraged by the large gathering.

“We really think that the community presence here has really helped ward off the ICE presence that has been here,” Serrano said.

Not backing down

Oakland City Councilmember Carroll Fife was also on hand outside the Hoover campus Wednesday and said the city’s residents aren’t backing down from the federal government’s mass deportation policies and aggressive immigration enforcement tactics.

“So I’m grateful for the work of educators, for our labor unions and for our community members who are here to support our families who are just trying to do the basic things that families do, which is get their kids to school, an education, and get home,” Fife said.

She also had words for President Donald Trump’s administration.

Teachers and community members gather outside of Hoover Elementary School in West Oakland on Wednesday after the school declared a lockdown in response to confirmed reports of nearby federal immigration enforcement activity. (Kiley Russell/Bay City News)

“Hands off Oakland. Get the f— out of Oakland,” Fife said. “We don’t accept that. We will stand up against this type of fascist engagement in our city. That’s what Oakland is known for.”

As the crowd began to disperse and things appeared to calm down at the campus, OUSD sent a note out to district families saying that there were also unconfirmed reports of ICE in other areas of Oakland, including along International Boulevard between 71st and 81st avenues in East Oakland.

“Should any other schools be affected, we will notify those families and staff directly,” OUSD officials said.

The electronic marquee outside Hoover Elementary School in West Oakland reminds the public of parent-teacher conferences and minimum day schedules during the week on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025. (Kiley Russell/Bay City News)

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee issued a statement Wednesday afternoon saying she was aware of the ICE activity and has been in contact with OUSD and Oakland Police Department officials.

She also addressed the city’s immigrant community directly.

“You are not alone, and we will not be intimidated by federal operations designed to create fear and division,” Lee said. “If you or someone you know needs support, please call the ACILEP hotline at (510) 241-4011 or visit The City Of Oakland’s Immigrant Rights and Resources page.”

A spokesperson for ICE didn’t immediately confirm agents’ activity in Oakland or respond to a request for information about any possible detentions, but referred to a news release from Sept. 9 in which Homeland Security officials deny raiding or targeting schools.