"When Oasis Legal Services director of operations Leanne Brotsky first heard that federal immigration authorities could be arriving en masse in the Bay Area the week before last, she got a pit-in-the-stomach feeling of all of the horribleness to come. Brotsky said the nonprofit's clients were fearful, too. Oasis Legal Services, founded in Berkeley in 2017, provides dedicated spaces and holistic services to LGBTQ+ immigrants and is one of the largest providers of LGBTQ+ asylum services in the country."
"It felt like we were bracing for a lot of the ugliness that we had seen already happening across the country, Brotsky said. The arrival of federal Customs and Border Patrol agents early in the morning on Oct. 23 to Coast Guard Island in Alameda sparked protests and sent community advocates scrambling. But just as quickly as the situation had escalated, it quieted down: By the next day, local officials were confirming that the federal operation in the Bay Area had been called off."
Federal Customs and Border Patrol agents arrived early morning Oct. 23 at Coast Guard Island in Alameda, prompting protests and community response. Oasis Legal Services director of operations Leanne Brotsky reported fear among clients and staff, noting stress for interns, volunteers, and families. Oasis Legal Services, founded in Berkeley in 2017, provides dedicated spaces and holistic services to LGBTQ+ immigrants and is one of the largest providers of LGBTQ+ asylum services in the country. Local officials confirmed the federal operation in the Bay Area had been called off the next day. Mayor Adena Ishii cautioned that ICE remained active in the East Bay; Berkeley Unified Superintendent Enikia Ford Morthel issued an update.
Read at www.berkeleyside.org
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