In brief
Federal immigration enforcement faced significant pushback during their arrival at Coast Guard Island, a location heavily guarded and not open to the public. Protests erupted in response to the arrival of Customs and Border Protection agents, as cities grapple with federal immigration policies. Following discussions with local leaders, President Trump hinted at reconsidering a planned surge of federal agents in the area, leaving the nature of subsequent actions unclear.
Federal immigration agents were greeted by protests Thursday in the San Francisco Bay Area on their way out to a century-old, government-owned artificial island that houses a U.S. Coast Guard base.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents began arriving at Coast Guard Island to support federal efforts to track down immigrants in the country illegally. The Coast Guard is part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, along with Customs and Border Protection, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.
A statement provided to the news media by the Coast Guard said that “through a whole of government approach, we are leveraging our unique authorities and capabilities to detect, deter, and interdict illegal aliens, narco-terrorists, and individuals intent on terrorism or other hostile activity before they reach our border.”
President Donald Trump then said Thursday that he’s backing off a planned surge of federal agents into San Francisco after speaking to the mayor. It was not clear if the president was canceling a National Guard deployment or calling off immigration enforcement by CBP agents.
Coast Guard Island is a 67-acre manmade island formed in 1913 in the Oakland Estuary between Oakland and Alameda. It is federally owned, does not allow visitors from the general public without an escort or specific government identification, and has been home to the current base, Base Alameda, since 2012.
Base Alameda provides a variety of services for Coast Guard activities throughout the West Coast. Ultimately, in February 2012, the Coast Guard set up Base Alameda on the island, combining several existing operations to set up departments in the base.
The island has a perimeter of about 1.25 miles and employs over 1,200 people during the workday, including active duty military personnel and civilians.
