University of California, Berkeley students are up in arms over a rumor that a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent visited a resident housing complex under the premise that he was an Amazon delivery man.
The alleged incident took place at Casa Zimbabwe, commonly referred to as CZ, which is home to 124 residents and is one of 17 houses under the Berkeley Student Cooperative.
CZ house president Rizza Estacio sent out an email with the subject line: “Trigger Warning: Immigration Officers at CZ.” According to The Daily Californian, it is unclear whether this incidence was a raid by ICE or an attempted robbery. It could also be an entirely fabricated situation, seeing that the Berkeley Police Department says it was never notified that ICE was at Berkeley. That, however, has not kept Berkeley students from freaking out.
Zach Gamlieli, president of Berkeley Student Cooperative, sent an email of his own entitled “Immigration Enforcement Activity Affecting the BSC” to residents of the co-op. Gamlieli averred that a man wearing a featureless brown shirt, carrying a package, made the attempt to gain entry into the co-op.
Purportedly, a CZ resident answered the front door to the supposed ICE agent masquerading as an Amazon employee. After denying the man entry, the resident followed the delivery man and “saw the individual in plainclothes speaking with the driver of a plain blue Chevy van,” as stated in the email.
“The driver got out of the car and approached carrying a white binder, wearing just a beige leather jacket — no identification. They quickly flashed open the binder and said ‘you have to let us in.’”
According to the resident, “Federal Immigration Enforcement,” written in bold characters on paper, was found in the binder in addition to a U.S. government emblem.
Berkeley Student Cooperative is the largest student housing co-op in the entire country, and UC Berkeley has allocated $800,000 for DACA recipients on campus.
Just a few weeks ago, ICE agents raided 77 businesses in Northern California — the largest collective raid since President Trump has been in office.
Isaiah Denby is a college freshman from Tampa Bay, Fla., studying economics and political science.
