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6d ago

Hundreds Rally in Dublin to Oppose ICE Reopening of Closed Women's Prison

Activists invoked the site’s abuse history and Japanese American internment to press federal authorities for binding assurances it remain closed.

Matthew Bridges, David Solnit and Leo Colletta protest the prospect of new immigrant detention centers in Northern California.
Kaitlan Harbaugh, left, and Yoo Gomes hold banners during the protest at Don Biddle Community Park.
Diane Wang and Lenore Sheridan protest the prospect of new immigrant detention centers.
Kathy Batt and her daughter Odessa protest near the former federal prison in Dublin.

Overview

  • On July 19 at Don Biddle Community Park in Dublin, hundreds rallied under signs like “Keep ICE out of Dublin” to oppose rumors of converting the former women’s prison into an ICE detention center.
  • A Bureau of Prisons spokesperson and Representative Mark DeSaulnier confirmed there are currently no plans to reopen FCI Dublin but activists are pressing for formal, legally binding guarantees that it stay closed.
  • Organizers from Tsuru for Solidarity, ICE Out of Dublin Coalition and labor unions led the multilingual, multiethnic demonstration together with Japanese American groups and the Family Violence Law Center.
  • Protesters, including internment camp survivor Satsuki Ina and descendants like Dr. Douglas Yoshida, drew parallels between the president’s use of the Alien Enemies Act and World War II Japanese American internment.
  • FCI Dublin was shut down in December 2024 after systemic abuse led to a class-action lawsuit and a $115 million settlement for 103 survivors, making it the largest payout in Bureau of Prisons history.