Oakland’s Mayor Celebrates Noncompliance with Immigration Law

Barbara Lee, the Democratic mayor of Oakland, California, expressed pride during a recent summer meeting of the Democratic Commission, highlighting the city’s defiance of federal immigration regulations.

A CNN poll from March indicated that Democratic support had dropped to 29%. This decline comes as the party struggled to meet its funding objectives in July. A Quinnipiac opinion survey revealed that just 19% of respondents approved of the party’s parliamentary leaders. Lee wrapped up the DNC event as the last speaker.

“Oakland is a community that fights for democracy every day,” she stated. “As I near my first 100 days in office, I want to thank the Democrats in California, including [Governor] Gavin Newsom, and I also appreciate the Texas Democrats for their strength. I’m originally from Texas and take pride in that.”

Lee continued, “Together we are leading the battle to protect democracy. Donald Trump is undermining what we stand for, and he’s lied about us. But Oakland isn’t intimidated; we stand ready to embrace all residents, including those from the immigrant community. Our police won’t cooperate with ICE.”

On January 20, 2025, President Trump signed several executive orders concerning illegal immigration, identifying groups like the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, the Salvadoran MS-13, and Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. Democrats have fiercely opposed these measures, resulting in various lawsuits aimed at blocking his directives.

In Texas, incidents involving ICE have included a fire at a facility that has been operational since July 4, with ten individuals charged with attempted murder linked to an attack in Alvarado.

Resistance to ICE operations also emerged from judicial figures like Judge Milwaukee, who allegedly aided illegal immigrants in evading ICE agents. Nashville’s Mayor Freddie O’Connell publicly revealed the name of an ICE agent involved in enforcing immigration actions in May.

In New York City, on June 18, an ICE agent apprehended Democratic mayoral candidate Brad Lander, who reportedly obstructed an operation in a Manhattan courthouse. Meanwhile, New Jersey Representative Ramonica McQuiver faced charges after allegedly assaulting an ICE agent at a facility in Newark.

In July, during an ICE raid on a marijuana farm in California, a gunman opened fire on an agent, prompting the FBI to announce a $50,000 reward for information leading to the offender’s identification and arrest.