HomeMy WebLinkAbout06 01 2026 - Item 7.9 - Lori Katcher SURJ Santa Clara County
c/o Urban Sanctuary
80 South 5th Street
San Jose, CA, 95112
June 1, 2026
Subject: June 1 Agenda Item 7.9 – Support
Dear Mayor Bozzo, Mayor Pro Tempore Hilton, and City Councilmembers Bracco, Cline,
Fugazzi, Marques and Ramirez,
Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) Santa Clara County urges you to protect the
safety and well-being of our community by supporting the proposed resolution to
oppose the planned ICE facility just outside the City of Gilroy.
We also urge you to agendize a “No staging zone” policy for your next City Council
meeting on June 15 to provide concrete protections for the community by prohibiting the
use of city property for civil immigration enforcement. Simply put, City property should
be used for City purposes. Such policy follows the examples set by the County, City of
San Jose, and City of Santa Clara. County Counsel is available to advise the City of
Gilroy, and Gilroy will benefit from this earlier work and leadership and can be assured
that the policy will have solid legal standing and minimize risk.
Federal immigration enforcement is already harming our immigrant families and
neighbors; we cannot allow ICE a foothold in the Bay Area.
This matters deeply to SURJ Santa Clara County and to the communities we stand in
solidarity with. Our immigrant friends and neighbors are already living under heightened
fear and surveillance from federal immigration enforcement. Our communities should be
a lifeline for welcome engagement in safe and vibrant civic life for everyone ––not a
place where people are afraid to set foot and families are torn apart.
Areas around ICE detention and processing facilities have increased enforcement
activity. This puts family stability at great risk. Mental and physical health, financial and
housing stability of children and adults deteriorate when families are afraid to visit the
doctor, participate in religious or civic groups, or go to work and school.
These valid fears in turn are disruptive to strong and diverse community life, which
harms us all and adds stressors to the community at large. Our businesses suffer when
community members are afraid to go to work, attend local events, or shop. ICE facilities
SURJ Santa Clara County
c/o Urban Sanctuary
80 South 5th Street
San Jose, CA, 95112
also place a strain on local emergency and medical services that are intended and paid
for by local residents.
With the threat of 2 proposed ICE facilities in the Bay Area, the surrounding
communities need strong leadership from city and county government officials to both
oppose these facilities and establish concrete protections. Any anti-immigrant agenda
that threatens our neighbors, destabilizes our communities and tears families apart
should be opposed. Our immigrant community members make our cities and county
stronger and deserve all of us to stand with and for them. We urge courageous local
leadership in taking a public stand, together with all of us who support immigrants, to
oppose any type of ICE facility in or near the City of Gilroy.
Thank you,
Showing up for Racial Justice (SURJ) Santa Clara County