A confrontation broke out outside the San Francisco Immigration Court on Tuesday as federal immigration agents attempted to detain a man, an incident that led to a clash with protesters who surrounded and clung to the van carrying the individual away.
Multiple videos that have since gone viral show Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in body armor and masks pushing through a crowd of roughly 30 demonstrators to load a handcuffed man into a black minivan. Protesters shouted and physically confronted agents, attempting to block the van's departure.
As the vehicle moved through the street, multiple protesters clung to it, with one person seen falling off as it accelerated.
A video captured outside a San Francisco courthouse Tuesday morning shows protesters seemingly trying to block a deportation by clinging to an ICE van as it drives through the crowd. One is seen to fall from the vehicle while another holds on as it swerves.
— The San Francisco Standard (@sfstandard) July 8, 2025
🎥: Joel Garcia pic.twitter.com/olXlrcwvEv
Protesters were seen outside the San Francisco Immigration Courthouse on Tuesday trying to stop ICE agents during an alleged deportation. SFPD says it wasn't involved in the incident, although protesters say officers were present. https://t.co/tLs3BEgLLw pic.twitter.com/3NctRTryIR
— ABC7 News (@abc7newsbayarea) July 9, 2025
🚨 San Francisco ICE Deportation — July 8
— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) July 9, 2025
Despite protesters’ efforts, ICE abducted someone from the SF federal courthouse at 100 Montgomery St. yesterday afternoon. A chilling 2-minute video shows protesters surrounding the vehicle, blocking the door, and trying to stop the… pic.twitter.com/m0CIEukKSp
ICE spokesperson Emily Covington said in a statement that protesters had "violently attacked and obstructed federal ICE officers who were simply doing their job by enforcing the rule of law." She added that "of course these protesters have zero respect for the rule of law, as they so casually violate it."
According to The San Francisco Chronicle, an ICE agent pepper sprayed a protester and another agent pointed a matte black rifle at protesters and members of the press. Tay Franklin, a San Francisco resident who witnessed the scene, described it as "inhumane" and "very surreal." She said police officers were present nearby but did not intervene despite requests from demonstrators.
Milli Atkinson, legal director of the San Francisco Immigrant Legal Defense Collaborative, said the arrest was the 26th courthouse detention in San Francisco since May. She confirmed that a lawyer from her organization had met the arrested man inside the courthouse but was later denied access to him after his arrest.
The Department of Homeland Security defended the arrest to The New York Times, stating that individuals without valid asylum claims "will be subject to a swift deportation." Under the Trump administration's expanded use of expedited removal, ICE can detain and deport individuals who cannot prove they've been in the U.S. for more than two years, even without a court hearing.
The San Francisco Police Department confirmed it was not involved and reported no injuries.
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