Faith Leaders, Activists Protest Outside FCI Dublin

DUBLIN, CA — Local faith leaders, immigrant rights activists, and hundreds of people gathered outside the shuttered FCI Dublin prison to protest rumors that it will be converted into an ICE detention facility. A similar protest that also drew hundreds of people took place outside the former prison in March.

The protest, organized by the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity and the California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice, took place Wednesday. Titled “From Harm to Liberation,” the protest took place at a time when the holidays of Easter, Passover, and Ramadan overlap.

“As we move through the sacred seasons of Ramadan, Passover, and Easter, we call on you to join us in a powerful, faith-rooted action to resist ICE’s expansion and stand in solidarity with survivors fighting to move from harm to liberation,” organizers said in an email. “ICE has conducted multiple site visits to evaluate reopening it for immigrant detention. WE CANNOT ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN.”

At the Wednesday protest, demonstrators chanted “No ICE in Dublin!” and circulated petitions to pressure lawmakers to forbid the site from opening, according to a Pleasanton Weekly report. Speakers included Rev. Deborah Lee, co-executive director of the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity; Susan Beaty, senior attorney for the California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice; and KC Mukai, who noted the opposition of the Dublin City Council and Reps. Mark DeSaulnier and Zoe Lofgren.

The protest comes in response to different reports that suggest that ICE will use the facility to house detained migrants. ICE officials visited the facility twice in February, and structural assessments conducted by government officials in July were reportedly shared with ICE, union sources told The Los Angeles Times. ICE has not confirmed its plans, but said that they are “exploring all options” to meet current and future detention needs, according to a report from the Bay Area News Group. The U.S. Bureau of Prisons, which is under new leadership, has partnered with ICE to create new detention facilities at five existing prisons across the country to house 700 immigrants, according to KTVU.

The prison was permanently closed in December 2024 after a massive sexual abuse scandal that led to convictions and prison sentences for seven former employees, including former Warden Ray Garcia. In addition to widespread abuse, federal investigators have found that the building violated OSHA standards due to asbestos exposures. Many inmates reported rashes, respiratory issues, and even hearing loss, according to a KTVU report. Several U.S. senators, including Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, wrote a letter questioning whether the facility was capable of housing anyone.