This interview aired in the February 19, 2026 episode of Crosscurrents.
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San Francisco's main federal immigration office is located in the very heart of the city’s Financial District.
Since the Trump administration stepped up immigration enforcement, the sidewalks in front of 100 Montgomery street have been a flashpoint of clashes between ICE agents and bands of protestors.
CLIP: “Whenever the community shows up and struggles, that's how we win. And so it's really up to our community to stay united, stay disciplined and make it clear that our strong message is that we defend immigrant rights.”
Recently, the federal administration ended its lease at the Montgomery Street office building. This follows the firing of 17 of the 21 judges assigned to San Francisco’s immigration courts.
But what impact will that have on thousands of undocumented immigrants, many of whom have already waited patiently for their day in court, and now face years of delays, and the fear of being taken into custody by ICE in the meantime?
Jesse Alejandro Cottrell has been covering the story for the San Francisco Standard. He spoke to KALW News editor Sunni Khalid.
