© 2024 KALW 91.7 FM Bay Area
KALW Public Media / 91.7 FM Bay Area
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Crosscurrents

How one man ended up in jail for immigration charges after reporting a crime to police

Sandy Valenciano/California Immigrant Youth Justice Alliance
Pedro Figueroa and his wife after he was released from Contra Costa Went County Detention Facility

Even in sanctuary cities, undocumented immigrants aren’t always safe from being handed over to ICE agents. In fact, it's happened right here in the well-known sanctuary city of San Francisco.

Pedro Figueroa, a Salvadoran immigrant, is undocumented — but he still felt safe going to the San Francisco police to report that his car was stolen, back in 2015.  After it was recovered, Figueroa and his wife Dora Alicia went to the police station to pick up the car. While he was waiting for his information to be processed, he says he noticed two officers were following him. Figueroa takes the story from there....

 

Figueroa: My daughter is yelling, "Daddy, daddy, I don't want them to deport you. I love you, Daddy, I love you."

Figueroa filed a lawsuit against San Francisco for violating the city's sanctuary ordinance. An asylum hearing on his case is scheduled for 2019. 

Crosscurrents