Federal agents detained multiple people during an early morning raid Thursday at a South of Market apartment building.
The San Francisco Rapid Response Network confirmed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested multiple individuals at the 10th Street building.
“We have identified three of the individuals arrested that are currently in ICE custody and are connecting them with legal support,” said spokesperson Milli Atkinson.
According to a resident of the building, who declined to give his name, masked agents broke the apartment’s door around 6 a.m., searching for drugs and guns while making arrests.
The resident said he is from Peru and has U.S. citizenship. There are many people who rent rooms in the apartment, he said. He estimated that 12 adults were taken into custody.
He said he’s been living in the apartment for less than two months.
“I need to find a new place immediately,” he said.
The FBI confirmed they were in the area “conducting court-authorized law enforcement activities,” but said ICE should answer other questions. ICE, however, declined to provide more information.
“For operational security and for the safety of our law enforcement personnel, ICE does not confirm, deny, or otherwise discuss ongoing or future operations,” a spokesperson told The Standard. “The agency publicly announces operational results when appropriate.”
Under the Trump administration, immigration arrests have surged. Typically, people have been detained while showing up for routine check-ins with immigration officials and court appointments. Raids of homes have not been as well documented.
Video posted on social media Thursday shows people seated on the sidewalk with their backs against a brick building as several masked agents stand nearby.
Tony Gonzalez, who lives on 10th Street, described seeing heavily armed officers remove residents from an apartment building around 7 a.m.
Gonzalez said officers wore police shirts, with some displaying patches featuring the black-and-blue American flag design commonly associated with law enforcement. Some officers carried what appeared to be AR-15 rifles, he said.
According to Gonzalez, agents initially brought out numerous residents from the building but released most of them, suggesting they were targeting specific individuals.
“They took a bunch of people out [of the building], but most of them, they let them go,” Gonzalez said, suggesting they were targeting specific individuals.
The operation drew the attention of Marc McBride, a Scottish tourist staying at a nearby home.
“I woke up to the sound of a commotion on the wall next door to my bedroom,” McBride said. “Just screaming, you know, get down on the floor, we’re leaving.’”
McBride heard furniture being moved and loud shouting before the area suddenly went quiet. When he looked outside, he saw "an unmarked town car."
“My mind went to, ‘Oh, I wonder if this is one of these kind of ICE raid situations,’” McBride said. “I’ve only been in this country 24 hours as a guest... It's quite terrifying.”
The Rapid Response Network is asking community members who were impacted by Thursday's raid to call 415-299-1548 to help identify other detained individuals.