A woman in a red coat at a podium speaks into a microphone with several people standing around her.

Public Defender Alleges Local-Federal Law Enforcement Partnership Defies SF Sanctuary Laws

San Francisco’s top prosecutor, police chief and public defender gathered on the steps outside City Hall’s main entrance in a rare display of unity as they committed to uphold sanctuary laws that protect undocumented immigrants from the Trump administration’s threatened mass deportation. But the agencies diverge on whom to shield from federal action.

Throngs of people carrying signs and flags walk down an urban street behind four people holding a large blue banner reading "Somos La Resistencia" in Spanish in large pink letters, with a smaller English translation reading "We are the resistance."

Immigrant Advocates Trying to Dispel Rumors of ICE Operation in SF

Rumors of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement  detention operation alarmed residents of San Francisco’s Mission District earlier this month following a threat by Donald Trump before his inauguration to launch mass deportations of undocumented residents.

However, these murmurs about local ICE raids are baseless, said Milli Atkinson, director of the Immigrant Legal Defense Program of the San Francisco Bar Association.

“It was one individual that was arrested by ICE,” Atkinson said. “They had his name and information. We responded, and they met with an attorney, and they’re going to be represented. It wasn’t a raid or mass arrest.”

Artist’s Show Weaves Together Memories and Immigration Stories

In her exhibition at San Francisco’s Institute of Contemporary Art museum, artist Suchitra Mattai explores her immigration story and that of her ancestors, as well as the malleability of memory.

The works are entirely fabric, from two-dimensional pieces that resemble paintings to a nearly life-sized house, an ode to where Mattai was born.

Proveedores de ervicios opinan que SF subestima la necesidad que hay a pesar de que cada vez más familias migrantes buscan acceder albergues

Los proveedores de servicios han visto un aumento reciente en el número de familias migrantes sin hogar que buscan refugio en San Francisco, y dicen que el sistema de albergues de la ciudad está saturado, y a menudo falla, para recibirlos. Los defensores locales de las personas sin hogar están pidiendo ala alcaldía que satisfaga esta urgente necesidad.

Homeless migrant families and others sit in City Hall Chambers during a meeting.

SF to Offer Some Homeless Migrant Families Temporary Hotel Stays, as the Rest Languish

Faced with an influx of unhoused migrant families into San Francisco, the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing will offer between 100 and 150 households temporary stays in hotels in the next year. That will likely fall short of addressing the full need.

Migrant families have joined service providers and faith-based advocates in a push for a policy response to the mounting crisis, including increasing access to temporary housing and providing greater transparency about where families are on the waitlist for shelter. City officials discussed potential solutions at a Monday hearing of the Board of Supervisors.

Las Muertes por Sobredosis entre los Mayas en San Francisco Muestran la Necesidad Urgente de un Tratamiento Culturalmente Sensible

Desde el comienzo de la pandemia del COVID-19, los mayas de San Francisco han estado muriendo por sobredosis de drogas a tasas elevadas. Los expertos dicen que se necesitan servicios de salud más capacitados, y los proveedores deben ser culturalmente competentes y capaces de comunicarse de manera efectiva con estos residentes, que no pueden hablar con fluidez inglés o español.

Aurelia Ramirez walks by tents and debris along Folsom Street.

Overdose Deaths Swell Among SF’s Maya Residents, Highlighting Urgent Need for Culturally Competent Drug Health Services

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, San Francisco’s Mayans have been dying of drug overdoses at elevated rates. More robust health services are needed, experts say, and providers should be culturally competent and able to communicate effectively with these residents, who may not be fluent in English or Spanish.

Silhouettes of two people crossing the desert.

California Program Trains Undocumented Residents to Become Therapists and Serve Those in the Shadows

The future is uncertain for California Proposition 1, which looks like it might pass by a razor-thin margin and would expand the state’s mental health and substance abuse treatment infrastructure. As votes are still being tallied, we bring you this story from news outlet MindSite News about a San Francisco organization that is filling a glaring void in the health care system.