On the same day Homeland Security announced plans for major immigration raids in the Bay Area in response to sanctuary city laws, and the Department of Justice confirmed that it was looking for ways to arrest Sanctuary City mayors and other officials, the City of Oakland defied federal authorities. On January 16, the Oakland City Council unanimously voted to eliminate any and all cooperation with ICE in both criminal and civil matters, except in a case of public emergency.

The vote, postponed for months by political maneuvers, arose from an ICE raid that took place in Oakland on August 16, ostensibly as a criminal investigation into human trafficking. However, no charges were ever filed and the only person facing trouble is a young undocumented man who is now undergoing deportation proceedings. The people of Oakland, with one of the largest foreign-born populations in the state, attended multiple City Council and Public Safety Committee meetings, almost unanimously demanding the City Council make clear that there could be no further cooperation of any sort.

Read More | Oakland City Council To End All Cooperation with ICE | Response to the threats of Northern California ICE Raids

Related Features: Is OPD Still Cooperating with Deportations? | ICE's Homeland Security Investigations Unit Raids Oakland Home, Arrests One