Alameda’s Fight Against ICE Hits a Federal Wall at Coast Guard Island

Alameda’s elected leaders are making it crystal clear: they oppose turning any local facilities into immigration detention centers. The Alameda County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a resolution against reopening the shuttered federal prison in Dublin or repurposing it for ICE detention. The Alameda City Council followed suit, directing staff to explore ways to block ICE from using city-owned properties for immigration enforcement operations.

These moves come amid growing community outrage and decades of painful history. Michael Yoshi, a longtime Alameda resident and former pastor, reminded the public at a recent meeting that his church’s Japanese immigrant founders endured anti-Asian laws and World War II internment camps. “We stand in strong support of this resolution, and say no to any facilities to be transformed into detention centers today, tomorrow, or in the weeks and years and months to come,” Yoshi declared.

Yet, despite these local efforts, a major loophole remains: Coast Guard Island, a 67-acre federal base in the Oakland Estuary. Last October, ICE used the island without notifying city officials as a staging ground for raids. Alameda Mayor Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft called out this federal overreach bluntly: “We have 600 acres at Alameda Point that is federal property... So why ICE would want to come to the City Hall parking lot is beyond me. But [the resolution] is symbolic, and symbolism has a place.”

The island’s federal status means local police cannot block ICE operations there. Alameda Police Department spokesperson Sarah Henry confirmed the city will not support federal immigration enforcement but acknowledged the police “cannot interfere with lawful operations of other law enforcement agencies, including ICE.”

The stakes are high. ICE has eyed the former Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin for immigration detention, despite promises to the contrary. The Trump administration even sought to expand the notorious Alcatraz federal prison for detention use. Alameda Supervisor Lena Tam, the daughter of Chinese immigrants, voiced her opposition: “I don’t want to see the Dublin Federal Correctional Institution, whether it’s in Dublin or Alcatraz or anywhere, detaining and being assembly areas for immigrants just because they are immigrants.”

The history of Coast Guard Island as a deportation hub runs deep. In the 1980s, during a major ICE operation, hundreds of immigrants were corralled into the island’s basketball gym before being bused away. The recent ICE surge in the Bay Area may have been brief, but its echoes linger—highlighting how federal control over key sites can sideline local sanctuary efforts.

Last October’s raids sparked protests at the island’s gates and led to a violent confrontation involving a suspect who allegedly tried to block ICE access. Brendan Munro Thompson, who identifies as female and also goes by Bella Thompson or Bella Castillo, faces federal charges related to the incident.

Alameda’s resistance continues with community workshops and sanctuary policies, but the federal government’s grip on Coast Guard Island remains a glaring obstacle. Until that changes, local efforts to protect immigrant residents will always be fighting an uphill battle against federal power and ICE’s unchecked reach.