OAKLAND, Calif. – Federal immigration agents were spotted Wednesday morning in a West Oakland neighborhood near an elementary school, district officials confirmed.
Agents seen near Hoover Elementary
What we know:
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers were in the area of 31st and Market streets, blocks from Hoover Elementary School.
The Oakland Unified School District told KTVU, “We have confirmed ICE activity in the West Oakland community.”
Parents notified
Dig deeper:
Parents received an alert on the ParentSquare platform notifying them of the activity.
“We got confirmation that there is ICE activity in the neighborhood. They are on 31st and Market Street knocking on doors. The kids are safe and secure at school. Please do no come to the school. We will alert you when things are quiet in the neighborhood again,” the notification read.
Then, in an email to parents, OUSD said Hoover Elementary was on lockdown because of how close the campus was to the ICE activity.
“Hoover Elementary is on secure school protocol because of their proximity tothe ICE activity in the community. Harriet Tubman CDC was on secure school protocol before regular dismissal for the day. Our other schools are following standard protocol for potential ICE activity in the community,” the email read.
The school district also said it received reports of unconfirmed ICE activity in East Oakland.
“We have also recently received unconfirmed reports of ICE in other areas of Oakland, including between 71st and 81st Avenues and International Boulevard,” district officials said.
Despite the district’s request to stay away from Hoover Elementary, a group of parents and community advocates gathered in the area and were posted at every corner.
Jeff Ernstfriedman, whose daughter is a second-grader at Hoover Elementary, said he went to the school after receiving the alert and was told the campus was on lockdown.
“I personally saw camouflage individuals going door to door. I didn’t see them take anyone out. I did see the community was able to raise enough of an issue for them, and they stopped,” Ernstfriedman said.
He described the situation as alarming but said he believed the students were safe.
“I feel they are safe here. This is the safest place to be if they’re already here. It’s unfortunate that it happens, but it’s scary,” he said.
Community vows to keep watch
While school officials urged parents not to come to campus until the situation calmed down, advocates said they planned to stay put to monitor for any potential federal activity.
Ernstfriedman said when community members asked agents to leave, one reportedly replied that they were “there to protect the homeland,” and then thanked the residents for doing their part, but asked them to let agents do theirs.
Unclear why agents in the area
District officials said the agents did not enter the school but were seen in the surrounding neighborhood.
What we don’t know:
The Department of Homeland Security has not confirmed why immigration agents were in the area or what they were investigating.
Nearby chase and crash
Local perspective:
A man who only identified himself as Rodriguez said he was confronted by federal agents at gunpoint outside his home near 32nd and Market Street, just a block from Hoover Elementary.
“When I was parking outside, I see a guy pointing in front of me saying, ‘Get out the car.’ I was feeling hella fear,” Rodriguez said.
The man said he got scared and took off in his Dodge Charger. That’s when federal agents gave chase.
“I run,” Rodriguez said. “I escape and I crashed my car.”
The man crashed near 31st and West Street, a few blocks away. Those agents caught up to him, but did not arrest him.
“I was feeling intimidated. And I’m feeling like they tried to shoot me,” he said.
The Source: Information for this story comes from the Oakland Unified School District.