SAN FRANCISCO MAYOR REACTS TO IMMIGRATION RAIDS

Carolyn Hileman* | February 19, 2007

02/18/07 3:40 PST
SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom issued a statement this week denouncing immigration raids conducted in San Francisco by Immigration and Customs officials.

“I am very concerned about the recent raids performed in various parts of the city by Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officials,” said Newsom, in a statement issued in both English and Spanish. “As a sanctuary city, San Francisco is proud to provide services to all of its residents, regardless of their immigration status,” Newsom added.

Bay Area immigrant communities have been hit hard recently by ICE actions such as “Operation Return to Sender,” which has resulted in the arrest of 119 people in Contra Costa County, according to ICE spokeswoman Lori Haley.

Of immigration actions in Contra Costa County, Haley defended immigration officials saying, “ICE is going to enforce the law.” She said of the 119 people arrested in Contra Costa County, 20 were immigration fugitives with deportation notices and nine of the people arrested were criminals.

While immigration officials may be enforcing the law, San Francisco Red Cross spokesman Woody Baker-Cohn said fears of deportation often make it difficult to provide assistance to illegal immigrants displaced in fires.

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