What if Trump turns his attention to the East Bay? Are we ready?

As Trump targets immigrants and sanctuary cities, the East Bay braces for a battle over its values; Unions warn Emeryville about Sutter Health; Exclusive: Why the Feds are investigating Bryan Azevedo

Members of the National Guard in Paramount, Calif. on Sunday. PHOTO/Wikimedia Commons

☕️MORNING BUZZ

—The alarming move by the Trump administration over the weekend to send federalize National Guard troops, and possibly Marines, to quell tensions in Los Angeles between protesters and federal immigration agents could very well happen soon somewhere in the East Bay.

Any deployment in response to protests in the East Bay will trigger immediate legal challenges and protests. The state already intends to sue the federal government. Local officials in the East Bay could refuse to cooperate, setting the stage for an unprecedented standoff between federal forces and local institutions.

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee has spoken harshly of President Trump in the past, voted for his impeachment, and even sued him. Lee and Oakland is likely a target of Trump’s ire.

Seven Alameda County cities are definitively sanctuary cities. The mere presence of those resolutions could draw the attention of Trump and ICE agents.

Oakland and Berkeley would be prime targets, but also Hayward and Fremont, because of their large immigrant communities. Last week, Hayward strongly defended its sanctuary city policy after the Trump administration placed them on notice, along with 10 others in Alameda County.

At the county level, Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas has been vocal about the Trump administration’s policies in recent months. Bas led the creation of an ad hoc committee to evaluate and suggest responses to federal policies that adversely affect the county.

—In the event that Trump trains his eye on the East Bay, many local officials would likely remain silent. However, very few would likely backdown.

This would not just be a legal battle but a symbolic one about state and local rights to protect their values in the face of federal pressure.

In the short term, the deployment of federal troops in the East Bay would destabilize communities, and erode trust in all levels of government and law enforcement.

Latinos in Oakland’s Fruitvale District, large swaths of Hayward, which is 40 percent Latino, in addition to Indians in the Tri-Cities and Tri-Valley, and Afghans in Fremont, among others, will have their daily lives further disrupted

If history is any guide, such federal overreach will not silence dissent, it would amplify it. From civil rights marches, the Occupy movement, police protests to anti-war demonstrations, crackdowns have often fueled stronger movements, not subdued them.

—The East Bay has long stood as a symbol of resistance and community resilience. If federal troops arrive to quash that spirit, they may find it far more difficult to defeat than they expected.

The question isn’t whether the East Bay will resist. It’s how far the federal government is willing to go to suppress that resistance.

If capitulation by force is not achieved, the next step will almost assuredly be repeated attempts by the Trump administration to pull federal funding from the county and its sanctuary cities, a potentially disastrous outcome that will further exacerbate current and structural deficits, and bleed the county’s safety net services dry.

—More inside:

• Local reaction to the L.A. protests have so far been muted.

• Union reps raise concerns over Sutter Health’s proposed $1 billion Emeryville campus.

• It’s becoming clear that Democracy Dollars, Oakland’s public financing program will not be implemented anytime soon.

• The specifics of why the FBI is investigating San Leandro Councilmember Bryan Azevedo.

—411 ON THE 510—Become an East Bay Insiders subscriber today and get FULL ACCESS to the inside scoop every weekday morning at 6 a.m. It’s what the insiders read.

—EBI PODCAST—Download and listen to the East Bay Insiders Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify: