Advocates secure court access for detained activist Guillermo Medina Reyes despite ICE barriers
Oakland, CA — On Tuesday, June 16, over 50 people gathered in person and via Zoom to support Guillermo Medina Reyes at his Mental Health Diversion Court hearing in Alameda County.
Medina is a Bay Area tattoo artist and longtime organizer for the rights of detained immigrants and incarcerated people, having organized hunger and labor strikes during his detention at Golden State Annex in McFarland, California from 2021 to 2023.
“I'm here today at the courthouse in Alameda in support of Guillermo, who has been detained by ICE,” said Trancita Ponce from Sister Warriors Freedom Coalition, who has been supporting Medina since her release in 2024 after serving 25 years of incarceration.
“I met him about a year and a half ago. We were doing a solidarity tattoo, and he came and tattooed me, my freedom tattoo. He was the nicest, most genuine guy. He has come up against a lot of struggles and adversities. For him to be detained by ICE is another struggle. We stand here today in solidarity and for him to know that he is not alone. He is supported by a community, friends and family who are not going to give up on him. Free Guillermo!”
Advocates urged the court to keep Medina’s case within mental health diversion during his time at CoreCivic's for-profit California City Detention Center. They emphasized that he has consistently met his treatment requirements – despite ongoing obstacles from ICE, including the last-minute cancellation of his legal call to attend the hearing.
In response, his team quickly arranged a workaround by setting up a separate call with Medina on speakerphone while attending the hearing via Zoom, as supporters filled the courtroom. This allowed Guillermo to attend his own hearing, despite the barriers imposed by ICE and CoreCivic.
“He was able to listen in. He wasn't able to join virtually directly on the screen, in part because I feel like the facility has been flagging him directly and retaliating because of the organizing he's doing inside. And they canceled our call. So, there was no legal call for him to be able to actually see the screen and see who is in the courtroom. So, other injustices we continue fighting on a daily basis along the way,” said Esperanza Cuautle from Pangea Legal Services and CSO Oakland.
Members of Medina 's campaign stressed the importance of keeping the case in mental health diversion, where Guillermo could see his case dismissed by continuing treatment. If transferred to criminal court, he would not be given the same flexibility and would face the near-certain risk of a warrant for failing to appear at a hearing he physically cannot attend – due to already being in state custody at ICE and CoreCivic's for-profit detention center.
At the end of the hearing, Judge Elisa Della-Piana sided with Medina 's request and positively acknowledged the dedication and efforts of his advocacy team in ensuring his presence at the hearing despite the challenges from the federal government and the private prison company.
The ruling sets a powerful precedent in Alameda County, allowing undocumented individuals to access mental health diversion, where they can receive proper treatment and potentially have their cases dismissed. That stands in stark contrast to a transfer to criminal court, which would only benefit Trump's deportation agenda and private prison companies like GEO Group and CoreCivic – companies that gain billions in profit from family separation, medical neglect, and detainee labor.
In 2025, CoreCivic reported over $2.2 billion in revenue. Of that amount, $130 million came from their California City Detention Center, where Medina and over 1600 people are currently being held.
“Say ‘no’ to this unjust system that criminalizes, deports, and separates our families,” said Danny Celaya from CSO Oakland. “California City Detention Center alone makes CoreCivic $130 million in profit off our loved ones. Shame. But Guillermo is a fighter, a luchador. It's our responsibility to stand with him and with everyone in immigrant detention centers. Free them all!”
Organizations that attended the hearing in support of Guillermo include Pangea Legal Services, Sister Warriors Freedom Coalition, SIREN, Amigos de Guadalupe – Center for Justice & Empowerment, California Coalition for Women Prisoners, Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity, CSO San Jose, CSO Oakland, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization.