On Wednesday, April 29, UC Berkeley Police, apparently acting on behalf of ICE and introducing themselves as ICE agents, arrested Jesús Gutiérrez, a worker at the Clark Kerr Campus Dining Commons and a union activist in AFSCME Local 3299. Acting on information alleging that Gutierrez was using false papers to work at UC Berkeley, the UCPD charged him with identity fraud. Gutiérrez has been placed under ICE immigration hold as he sits in Santa Rita Jail.

Gutiérrez is suspected of no crime apart from the allegation of working using false identification. He is currently charged with felony identity fraud, a charge that is reserved for people who use identity information to steal money.

In a statement, Ronald Cruz, a member of BAMN, writes, “There is a strong likelihood this is an effort by UC Berkeley to intimidate organized labor. Jesús was a rank-and-file union activist in AFSCME Local 3299, which just had a strong one-week strike in summer 2008 and won a contract that includes language requiring ICE to contact AFSCME before arresting a worker. Surprisingly, the arrest has come from UC Berkeley itself.” Read More

On Wednesday, May 13th, a rally and a march was held at Sproul Plaza, UC-Berkeley, to demand the release of Jesús Gutiérrez from ICE custody. Video

ICE kidnaps UC Berkeley employee | Berkeley Protests ICE Raids | AFSCME Strike Postponed -- What's Next?