""This is unacceptable and part of a coordinated, racist, authoritarian campaign to criminalize immigrants and dismantle our democracy from the inside out," Bas said in a statement. "We must implement greater protections for individuals attending court.""
""While we have no evidence that ICE agents operated in any non-public areas of the courthouse or that any of our employees assisted them in any way, neither I nor the court's executive officer were advised of their presence," Nixon said in a statement."
""to ensure that we are timely notified when federal immigration actions are planned or occurring on our properties.""
""ICE activity in and around our courthouses has a chilling effect on justice when those in need of help are too afraid to seek it," Nixon said. "We remain committed to equal access to justice for all.""
ICE agents detained an Alameda County Public Defender's Office client at the Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse following an unrelated pretrial hearing on Sept. 15. The sheriff's office confirmed the arrest. County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas condemned the detention as a violation of due process, human dignity, and constitutional rights and called for greater protections for individuals attending court. Superior Court Presiding Judge Thomas Nixon said he was dismayed to learn of the incident only after the fact, announced an investigation, and said the court is coordinating with the sheriff's office to ensure timely notification of federal immigration actions on court properties. Officials warned that ICE activity chills access to justice.
Read at The Mercury News
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