In September, we published an illustrated look-back at how immigration enforcement changed in San Francisco during the nine months since President Donald Trump took office.
In the three months since, it’s changed again.
In the fall and winter, there have been fewer arrests in San Francisco but also far fewer judges: The Trump administration has fired 12 of the city’s immigration judges, leaving its courts with only nine to hear more than 120,000 cases.
Several city supervisors made a point to visit Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities in the city; one supervisor was denied entry.
Here’s what’s happened since September, as illustrated by Neil Ballard.
Sept. 8: ICE makes largest single-court arrest
Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrest eight Colombian asylum-seekers in what attorneys say was the largest single-morning arrest to date at San Francisco’s immigration court. One woman nearly avoided arrest but ICE agents intercepted her in the hallway, demanding her name. A social worker, accompanying the woman, asked to see their warrant, which agents later produced before arresting her.
Sept. 18: ICE arrests another seven, two without lawyers
ICE arrests seven more people at 630 Sansome St. One Mexican woman, whose case was dismissed, was detained moments after her hearing. A family member who drove her to court said that on the drive she had been “so anxious that she turned pale.”
Sept. 26: ICE slams man against wall in mistaken arrest
ICE arrests three people. One man tells Judge Joseph Park, “I need more time. I am afraid to return to Venezuela,” but federal attorneys still move to dismiss his case. Later that morning, eyewitnesses say that ICE agents slammed another man, who had not received a motion to dismiss, against the hallway wall before realizing they had the wrong person.
Oct. 23: Live updates: Trump announces, then scraps, federal push in San Francisco
Mission Local joins forces with El Tecolote to provide live reporting as Customs and Border Protection agents arrive at an Alameda Coast Guard base. By late morning, the federal surge is called off. By 3 p.m., the city announces an additional $3.5 million for immigrant legal defense and the Rapid Response Network.
Oct. 29: ICE arrests decline sharply
Milli Atkinson, an attorney of the Bar Association of San Francisco, says no arrests occurred at 630 Sansome St. since Oct. 3. Some attorneys believe that the sharp reduction may be tied to a series of successful habeas petitions filed on behalf of detained immigrants since August.
Nov. 25: Federal court tells ICE to immediate improve conditions
After the ACLU and other groups sued ICE alleging its San Francisco holding cells were frigid, filthy, and unfit for long-term stays, a federal court says the agency has to immediately improve conditions.
A judge writes that conditions are likely “unconstitutionally punitive in nature.”
Neil G. Ballard is a cartoonist and muralist living and working in San Francisco, California.
I’m covering immigration for Mission Local and got my start in journalism with El Tecolote. Most recently, I completed a long-term investigation for El Centro de Periodismo Investigativo in San Juan, PR and I am excited to see where journalism takes me next. Off the clock, I can be found rollerblading through Golden Gate Park or reading under the trees with my cat, Mano.