Dublin Residents Win Unanimous Passage of City Council Resolution Opposing Potential ICE Detention Center at FCI Dublin
- CCIJ
- Dec 17, 2025
- 3 min read
Media Contacts:
Alex Mensing, California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice, 775.560.4904, alex[@]ccijustice.org
Liz Schmitt (925-339-4164), Dan Morley (408-640-9516), Tri Valley Indivisible
Photos Available for Media Use Here (Credit: ICE Out of Dublin Coalition)
December 17, 2025
For Immediate Release
Dublin, CA – Over 100 community members from Dublin and the surrounding areas attended a Dublin City Council meeting last night to support a proposed resolution opposing the potential reopening of the notorious FCI Dublin prison as an Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center. Following public comment last night by nearly 40 community members who overwhelmingly supported the resolution, all five Dublin City Council members voted in favor of the resolution, entitled “OPPOSING THE REOPENING OR REPURPOSING OF THE FORMER FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION DUBLIN FOR ANY FUTURE DETENTION OR CORRECTIONAL OPERATIONS.”
“I’m very pleased that the Dublin City Council listened to its residents and did the honorable and responsible action by passing the resolution formally opposing the placement of a detention center in this city,” said Dublin resident Liz Schmitt. “I do not like to see people deprived of their safety. I do not like to see people deprived of their Constitutional rights. I do not like to see people deprived of their mental health. And with ICE, that’s all we get.”
The resolution was brought forth by councilmember Jean Josey in the wake of a November 18th city council meeting when over 30 Dublin residents spoke about their love for their city and the negative impact that opening an ICE facility would have on all aspects of the community.
Council members expressed frustration with the lack of communication on the part of federal agencies despite repeated requests for updates and transparency. They also noted their concern regarding the recent announcement by the federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) regarding intent to transfer the FCI Dublin property to the General Service Administration (GSA), recognizing that if this takes place, ICE could then take over the facility from GSA and convert it to an ICE detention center.
This year, the GSA has created an “ICE surge” team to help secure space for ICE. Dublin City Council members agreed on minor amendments to the language of the resolution before passing, including adding the GSA in the list of agencies they are calling on for transparency.
“If this detention center opens, we will not feel safe here in Dublin because we will all be at risk, as people are being taken away without respect for our rights,” said Alfredo, a Dublin resident and immigrant, during public comment. “I thank you for presenting this resolution and I support it so that it can be voted on and passed."
“The beautiful City of Dublin should shine a beacon of light and loudly proclaim that they will no longer tolerate being the home of the ‘Dublin Rape Club,’” wrote Darlene Baker, who was incarcerated inside the FCI Dublin Prison Camp from April 2022 – February 2023 and sexually assaulted by former Medical Officer Jeffrey Wilson, in a letter sent to the Dublin City Council ahead of yesterday’s hearing. “I respectfully urge the Council to use every means available to ensure this facility is never opened again, including and especially use as an ICE facility housing vulnerable immigrants.”
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The ICE Out of Dublin Coalition is working to stop the reopening of FCI Dublin as an immigration detention center through organizing, storytelling, and advocacy. The coalition is made up of community organizations, faith leaders, survivors of incarceration and ICE detention as well as internment, organized labor, neighbors, and more.
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