Activists block access to SF ICE office to prevent immigrant detentions

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A day after the "No Kings" protests brought thousands out in San Francisco, demonstrators returned to the streets Sunday to protest outside an ICE contract office, where activists say immigrants were told to report to over the weekend.

A protest action attempted to stop those appointments from happening. Meanwhile, local businesses removed plywood from windows after a mostly peaceful march.

Activists marched for the second day outside a ICE subcontracting office on Tehama Street in San Francisco's SoMa neighborhood, protesting the Trump Administration's deportation policies. Street access was blocked to the building.

"We strongly suspect this was a way to detain many of our community members. However, starting yesterday, the community has come out in such power, the office where people were called to come in has not opened since yesterday," said Katie Kavanaugh, attorney from California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice.

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Activists believe dozens of immigrant detentions were possibly stopped by their actions.

"Tactics like the one today are really divisive ways to scare our community, so we chose to shut down the offices this morning so no one can get inside," said activist Luna Osleger-Montanez.

ABC7 News reached out to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement for comment, but have not yet heard back.

The action comes a day after the "No Kings Day" march in San Francisco and other cities across the country.

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On Thursday, some storefronts in Union Square were boarded up in anticipation of the protests. On Sunday, we found handyman Yacoub Sadan removing plywood from the windows of one retailer.

"We don't want any store to get vandalism. It's a beautiful city. I hate to see it go through a hard time like this," Saden said.

The protest march brought thousands out to the streets. The action stayed peaceful.

"We're thankful nothing happened. We're happy to keep the city safe, clean, peaceful," he said.