ICE agents were seen in the hallways and waiting areas of courthouses in San Francisco, Sacramento, and Concord throughout the past week. One man was reportedly arrested outside the Concord court on Wednesday.
According to KQED, Bay Area attorneys and advocates say ICE agents have maintained a visible and intimidating presence in immigration courts all week—stationed in waiting areas, near entrances, and outside courtrooms. Legal observers report seeing agents at the San Francisco courthouse daily, with additional sightings in Sacramento and Concord. Advocates warn that this presence alone can deter immigrants from attending hearings, risking automatic deportation for missing court.
“It’s outrageous and unprecedented,” said Sean McMahon, senior attorney with the California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice. “People have the right to be heard in court. ICE is scaring people away from exercising that right.”
One man was arrested outside the Concord immigration court on Wednesday. Sergio Lopez, a volunteer with the Contra Costa Immigrant Rights Alliance, was there and witnessed the encounter. “They were kind of aggressive,” he said. “This is a tactic to terrify people. I’ve gotten so many messages asking if it’s safe to go to court.”
McMahon said that following the arrest on Wednesday, volunteers began informing people of their legal rights and were asked to leave by the court’s private security guards.
According to Reuters, the arrests are part of a Trump administration push to expand expedited removal, a fast-track deportation process that allows ICE to bypass court proceedings for migrants who cannot prove they’ve been in the U.S. for more than two years. Now, ICE attorneys are moving to dismiss immigration court cases—typically seen as a legal win—only for agents to arrest the individuals moments later.
“There was a sense of relief when the judge dismissed the case,” said Leandro Ferrer, a Phoenix-based immigration attorney representing two Cuban clients arrested after their hearing, as reported by CBS News. “But ICE agents were waiting. They just went in and took them.”
According to CBS News and Reuters, similar arrests have taken place in cities like Phoenix, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, and Miami. In several cases, individuals had entered legally through Biden-era programs like the CBP One app. ICE has confirmed the courthouse operations and defended them as part of “implementing the rule of law.”
But McMahon warns this policy shift is about fear, not justice. “It undermines the entire premise of due process,” he said. “We need elected officials to step in and stop this now.”
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