Activists demand end to ICE activity at Oakland's Eastmont Mall, stage 'die-in' demonstration
OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- Community activists are calling on Eastmont Mall owners to stop allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to stage operations on the property, alleging the site has been used to transfer detainees for more than a year.
Dozens of advocates gathered Sunday in Parking Lot 'C' at Eastmont Mall in Oakland, staging a symbolic "die-in" to honor people who have died while in ICE custody. Organizers say the demonstration was intended to draw attention to what they describe as ongoing ICE activity at the shopping center.
"We are here today because we want ICE out of Eastmont Mall and all health care facilities," said Gabriela Galicia, executive director of the Street Level Health Project.
Galicia said legal observers have documented ICE agents using the parking lot since December 2025.
"In June 2026, a community member was picked up at their house and taken to this parking lot, where they were transferred to another ICE vehicle," Galicia said.
MORE: Investigation underway after pedestrian allegedly struck by ICE vehicle in Northern California
Advocates say the alleged enforcement activity is particularly concerning because the parking lot is adjacent to an Alameda County community health clinic. They argue the presence of federal immigration agents has created fear among immigrant families seeking medical care.
"People are afraid to come here. You become afraid to go to the clinic, you get sick and others get sick around you," said Francisco Herrera of the Nuevo Sol Day Labor and Domestic Worker Center.
A county sign posted in a portion of the lot under Alameda County control states that the area may not be used for immigration enforcement activities.
Activists are also directing their concerns toward Tidewater Capital, the private owner of the Eastmont Mall property.
"We want the owners of the property to put safety first and say to ICE, 'Do not come here,'" Herrera said.
MORE: Video of masked ICE arrest in San Francisco's SoMa neighborhood sparks outrage
The issue has drawn attention from Alameda County leaders. Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas attended Sunday's event and pledged to continue monitoring ICE activity in the area.
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"I'm going to remain vigilant in protecting our communities against ICE," Bas said.
The controversy follows a recent incident involving ICE agents and a detainee who was taken to Highland Hospital for treatment. Advocates allege the man suffered fractured ribs after being tackled by an agent.
In response to questions about activity at Eastmont Mall, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement: "ICE's presence in public parking lots is fully authorized under federal law and is a standard practice for law enforcement agencies nationwide."
MORE: ICE agents accused of breaking man's arm in dramatic arrest caught on video in Long Beach
Activists dispute that characterization, noting that Eastmont Mall is privately owned.
"This is not a public parking lot. It's a private parking lot," Herrera said.
ABC7 Eyewitness News reached out to Eastmont Mall property owners for comment but had not received a response as of Sunday evening.
Organizers say they plan to send an open letter to Oakland city leaders and mall ownership this week, asking that all ICE-related activity be barred from the property.
