Advocates and officials in Alameda County say they need to revisit the county’s ICE-free zone policy after hospital staff released a man into the custody of immigration authorities without a warrant.
At a special joint meeting this week with Alameda Health System Board of Trustees, county supervisors called on administrators to detail what exactly happened at Highland Hospital in Oakland after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents brought a detainee to the facility for over a week of treatment.
Some supervisors and advocates at the meeting said they also needed to improve protocols regarding interactions with ICE. Supervisor Elisa Marquez told KQED that it’s time the county reviews its 2025 policy as an ICE-free zone to see “if there are any gaps” or misunderstandings on how to implement it.
The “ICE-free zone” policy covers Alameda County-owned properties, including Highland Hospital, and limits interactions with immigration authorities…