Federal agents, reportedly dressed in uniform but driving unmarked vehicles, descended upon Fremont’s Sundale neighborhood Saturday morning for a series of immigration enforcement operations and voluntary “knock and talk” visits, as confirmed by the Fremont Police Department and the city’s officials. Fremont Police Chief Sean Washington, through a statement released to KTVU, indicated that local law enforcement was notified at 6:50 a.m. but was not provided specific details regarding individuals targeted or the objectives of these federal interventions.
The operations, which concluded around 9:50 a.m., saw these federal agents operating without direct involvement from Fremont police, the department itself confirmed it did “not provide support, resources, or information during this federal immigration deployment” but also acknowledged their lack of jurisdiction to impede such federal undertakings, furthermore, State Assemblyman Alex Lee urged residents on Facebook to remain vigilant and asserted their right not to open the door if ICE agents knocked. Geneva Bosques, a Fremont spokeswoman, noted to this news organization that it was unclear which federal agency the agents were from, and Mayor Raj Salwan was similarly in the dark, having been informed of the federal presence only mid-morning and receiving no direct contact from U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement or the Department of Homeland Security regarding operation specifics, according to information provided by The Mercury News.
In recent times, Fremont, a self-proclaimed “compassionate, sanctuary city,” has not been a major focus of federal immigration enforcement, as mentioned by Mayor Salwan, who aims to fortify the trust between residents and local law enforcement and echoed the sentiment that Fremont’s policies adhere to state laws, with assurances that these activities by federal agents were independently conducted and not indicative of the city’s role or stance on immigration enforcement. The mayor’s comments come amidst heightened tensions in the Bay Area, following clashes between protesters and federal agents at Coast Guard Island and the subsequent shooting incident involving a U-Haul truck and the injury of the driver and a bystander…