ICE used Oakland International Airport to fly detainees out of area

ByLisa Amin KGO logo
Friday, July 26, 2019
ICE used Oakland International Airport to fly detainees out of area
There was outrage at Oakland's Board of Port Commissioners meeting. The agency oversees Oakland's International Airport, where roughly 43,000 detainees have flown out on ICE chartered planes.

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- "It's unconscionable that at the same time the port has been undermining our community by actively aiding in a deportation of immigrant workers and their families."

Outrage at Oakland's Board of Port Commissioners meeting.

The agency oversees Oakland's International Airport, where roughly 43,000 detainees have flown out on ICE chartered planes.

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Lourdes Martinez is with the nonprofit Mujeres Unidas y Activas and said, "We just want no use of our airport by ICE. It's an agency that is right now working on behalf of a government that is making public threats against the immigrant community."

Oakland is a sanctuary city.

And considering the flights originated out of Oakland, many are calling this a violation of City policy.

Commissioners insist they knew nothing about this.

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The Commission's executive director Danny Wan said, "We're taking this very seriously and we are aimed at ensuring the port of Oakland meets our sanctuary city commitments."

Oakland City Councilmember Noel Gallo spoke at the commission meeting to express his disappointment and frustration.

"We want to make sure it does not happen again in terms of deportations of families here in Oakland."