FREMONT — An undisclosed number of federal agents appeared in Fremont on Saturday to knock on doors and seek “voluntary cooperation” with “specific individuals,” officials confirmed with this news organization.
Federal agents entered the city on Saturday morning and left sometime before around 12:20 p.m., according to Fremont spokeswoman Geneva Bosques. She said it was unclear which agency the agents were from, how many there were, or where they were conducting their work. Bosques declined to provide further information.
Fremont Mayor Raj Salwan told this news organization he first heard federal agents would be in Fremont from City Manager Karena Shackelford sometime mid-morning.
He said agents were expected to be conducting “knock and talk” visits with some residents throughout the city, though he said neither U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement nor anyone from the Department of Homeland Security contacted him directly to discuss details of their actions.
“As far as I know, this is kind of a voluntary check they’re doing. It’s not heavy handed,” he said. “I don’t have all the details.”
Fremont Police Chief Sean Washington did not immediately return a request for comment Saturday afternoon.
Salwan said he wants to “build trust” in his city between residents and law enforcement, and also called Fremont a “relatively safe city.”
The mayor said the city has “not been a big target” and that people should feel safe.
“We don’t conduct these federal operations, they’re independently done,” Salwan said. “We just focus on our own scope, which is not immigration enforcement.”
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.