HomeMy WebLinkAbout06 01 2026 - Item 7.9 - Cat CampbellDear Mayor and Members of the Gilroy City Council,
I am writing to urge the City of Gilroy to take a clear public stand
against the proposed immigration detention facility that our openly
fascist government wants to construct just outside Gilroy city limits.
Yes, the project is technically outside the City’s jurisdiction, but I think
we all know its impacts would not stop at the city boundary.
ICE is a gestapo task force. They have intentionally and strategically
chosen to establish themselves in a place where they can evade the
authority of elected officials. We can't afford to estimate the evil of an
organization that operates as a private army, unilaterally controlled by a
president hell-bent on undermining democracy at every turn.
Make no mistake, we are dealing with a concentration camp that could
be at our doorstep if immediate, aggressive action is not taken.
Gilroy, like so many places in this country, is a city built on the backs of
immigrant communities. The aura of fear and disorder produced by an
ICE detention center would cripple our communities. Worse still, if the
experience of other regions in the United States is anything to go off of,
we know that ICE would use a Gilroy detention center as a relay point
to dramatically increase its presence throug hout the Bay Area.
I respectfully ask the City Council to adopt a formal resolution
opposing the facility, leaving no room for interpretation: make it clear
we will fig ht tooth and nail against the threat ICE poses . We must
coordinate closely with Santa Clara County, state officials, and local
organizers in solidarity against an oppressive reg ime. If we do not fight
for our rights, they will be taken.
Moreover, we need transparency from our city officials. The public
deserves answers about the consequences of this project and what our
actual plan to fight it will look like. Reports that local officials were not
meaning fully notified before federal lease activity and site work began
are deeply troubling. Silence and ignorance are enemies to any
community seeking to defend itself against imperialist oppression.
Gilroy is in danger of becoming a gateway to a threat that separates
families and spreads fear. Publicly oppose this facility with every tool
available. Doing any less would indicate ignorance, and frankly,
cowardice, in the face of our situation.
Sincerely,
Catwoman
de Los Gatos