- “What is clear to me is that Donald Trump sees himself as a king and that he believes he has free rein to target communities out of spite and politically motivated retaliation.” – Assemblymember Mia Bonta
By Vanguard Staff
ALAMEDA, Calif. – Reporting indicates that at least 100 federal agents, including personnel from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), are being deployed to the U.S. Coast Guard Base in Alameda.
In response, Assemblymember Mia Bonta issued a statement condemning the move as an authoritarian overreach intended to sow fear and division.
“To distract from his unpopular and harmful shutdown, Donald Trump is reportedly bringing his authoritarian theatrics to the Bay Area,” said Assemblymember Bonta. “It is against our values as Alamedans to have our city used as a staging ground to inflict fear, terror, and state-sponsored violence across the Bay. California has seen this President’s playbook already. Terrorizing working-class communities, creating chaos in our streets, and targeting individuals based on their race is no way to enforce immigration, create public safety, or run a country.”
Bonta added, “What is clear to me is that Donald Trump sees himself as a king and that he believes he has free rein to target communities out of spite and politically motivated retaliation. I am confident that California will do all in our power to stand up against this attack on our neighbors.”
Bonta recently authored AB 1261, which was signed into law earlier this month to ensure unaccompanied minors and other young immigrants in federal removal proceedings have access to legal counsel. The bill was one of ten priority measures enacted by the California Latino Legislative Caucus to protect immigrant families, safeguard schools and healthcare spaces, and defend access to critical services.
In January, the Legislature allocated $25 million for legal aid for immigrant communities, followed by an additional $10 million in the state budget to support immigrant youth. Under SB 54, enacted in 2017, state and local law enforcement are prohibited from assisting ICE with immigration enforcement except in very limited circumstances.
The controversy follows a series of escalating federal actions and statements. On Aug. 11, 2025, President Trump listed Oakland among several cities as potential targets for National Guard deployment. On Oct. 19, the President told Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures” that he intends to invoke the Insurrection Act to send federal troops to San Francisco. One day later, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced at a Florida press conference that ICE agents would be dispatched to San Francisco at the President’s direction. On Oct. 22, the San Francisco Chronicle confirmed that more than 100 federal agents, including from CBP, have been sent to Coast Guard Base Alameda, likely as a precursor to National Guard deployment.
State data contradict the administration’s justification for federal intervention. Overall violent crime in major California cities is down 12.5 percent in 2025 compared to 2024, with Oakland seeing a 30 percent decline and San Francisco a 22 percent decline. The California Department of Justice reports that nearly every major crime category, including violent crime and homicides, dropped in 2024, with the state’s homicide rate reaching its second lowest level since at least 1966.
Bay Area elected officials have been united in rejecting the need for National Guard intervention.
Follow the Vanguard on Social Media – X, Instagram and Facebook. Subscribe the Vanguard News letters. To make a tax-deductible donation, please visit davisvanguard.org/donate or give directly through ActBlue. Your support will ensure that the vital work of the Vanguard continues.
