ICE HQ in S.F.s Financial District has 80-year history of detaining immigrants

The ICE office in San Francisco, located at 630 Sansome St. , has a controversial past tied to immigration enforcement dating back to the end of World War II. Leong Bick Ha, detained there in 1948, tragically committed suicide after enduring months in harsh conditions while awaiting an interview about her marriage. This building became a focal point for immigration policy and its negative impacts, housing thousands of detainees under circumstances that often drew public scrutiny. Historian Brianna Nofil emphasizes that the use of office buildings for detention allowed authorities to operate with less oversight and awareness from the public.

In a notable incident just before Leong's death, another detainee's dramatic escape attempt drew a crowd of 5,000, highlighting the building's hidden role as a detention center. Such events reveal a historical pattern of neglect and secrecy surrounding immigrant detention practices in the area. Nofil argues that the facility marks the beginning of a troubling trend in American immigration policy. The ongoing relevance of these issues remains significant as local protests against current immigration practices continue.