The annual State of the City address provides an opportunity for the mayor to reflect on work done in Berkeley every year.
This year, however, City of Berkeley Mayor Adena Ishii made United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) recent deployment in the Bay Area a focal point of her speech and strongly stated support for immigrants in Berkeley. The address took place at the Freight Theater, where Ishii celebrated her first full year in office since being elected in 2024. During the address, Ishii shared many successes while also explaining areas of growth for the city. Beyond her own performance this last year, Ishii recognized other contributors to Berkeley’s successes, such as local companies and organizations.
Ishii brought ICE’s deployment to the forefront of her speech. “I never thought in my first year of mayor that Berkeley would be called upon to help protect the very ideas of democracy and the rule of law in our country,” she said. Ishii also emphasized Berkeley’s status as a sanctuary city and its impressive history of preservation and advocacy for immigrants, stating, “Berkeley is our nation’s first sanctuary city.” She also brought to attention the Mayor’s sanctuary city task force and spotlighted many organizations and nonprofits that work for immigrants. This included the city’s allocation of $200,000 to support immigrant legal defense services, the reintroduction of Berkeley’s sanctuary city ordinance, and the re-establishment of immigrant protections on behalf of the City of Berkeley.
Ishii also brought up the homelessness crisis that exists in Berkeley. “Homelessness is one of the biggest issues facing our community today …We can be compassionate and effective,” Ishii said. She stated a three-point agenda — prevention, intervention, and housing. The first point, prevention, seeks to secure funds for homelessness-prevention agencies through the City of Berkeley. For intervention, Ishii aims to assist people currently facing homelessness by securing more funding for safe places to live, such as Dorothy Day House, a homeless shelter located in downtown Berkeley, just one block away from Berkeley High School. On the topic of housing, Ishii recognized the affordability crisis in Berkeley and the greater Bay Area and introduced 700 new permanent supportive housing units in Berkeley, both in the south and central neighborhoods. She spoke directly from her experience as chair of the Alameda County Mayors’ Group of Homelessness Prevention.
Ishii also addressed the nationwide government shutdown and the lack of funding. She stated that she is currently working with both Congresswoman Lateefah Simon and California State Senator and former Berkeley mayor Jesse Arreguín to allocate funding for the City of Berkeley.
Ishii is working to successfully implement Measure FF, a measure that will allocate $15 million to improve roads and pedestrian paths in Berkeley. She also addressed Berkeley’s decrease in violent crime and property theft, expressed gratitude for firefighter leadership, and referenced an updated “Vision 2050” report to improve city building infrastructure.
On a more personal note, Ishii shared success stories since she’s been in office. For example, hosting a local storytime band at Live Oak Park for the children of Berkeley and sharing storybooks told through music with families and friends. She also drew attention to her bimonthly office hours, which are uniquely hosted at neighborhood cafes and are extremely popular among residents. “The event (office hours) was full in a matter of minutes,” she said.
To conclude the address, BHS senior and 2025 Berkeley Vice Youth Poet Laureate Adalilly Chu read her poem “all smiles.” The poem was about the non-profit she founded, “The Youth Literacy Project,” which is an organization for elementary school students to read and be partnered with BHS students. This club aims to increase literacy among young elementary school students while providing a support system for young children directly from high school students.