HomeMy WebLinkAbout06 01 2026 - Item 7.9 - Cynthia Chagolla
4 North Second Street, Suite 1300 | San Jose, CA 95113
Phone: 408-293-4790 | Fax: 408-293-0106 | lawfoundation.org
Advancing Justice
Housing | Health | Children & Youth
Subject: Agenda Item 7.9 – Support
Dear Mayor, Mayor Pro Tempore, and City Councilmembers,
I am writing from the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley. I strongly support the
proposed resolution to oppose the possible ICE facility in Gilroy. I 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. This simply means City property should be used for City
purposes.
The Law Foundation is a service provider to Gilroy residents and we are very concerned
about the long-term harm such a facility will cause to our neighbors, clients, and
community members.
With the threats of proposed ICE facilities in Gilroy and Dublin, the community needs
strong leadership from the City Council and City administration to both oppose those
facilities and establish concrete protections. Our City should oppose this possible
detention facility because we must combat this anti-immigrant agenda that destabilizes
our communities and tears families apart. In this dire crisis, we greatly appreciate your
brave local leadership in taking a public stand, together with all our communities, to
oppose any detention facility in our City.
ICE facilities and increased immigration enforcement are bad for business. Businesses
that Gilroy counts on will be challenged and even shut down if they lose workers and
customers due to fear and detention. A March 2026 report from the Bay Area Council
Economic Institute states that mass deportation could reduce regional economic output
by as much as $67 billion annually. We need to protect our people and our economy.
That is why I am urging you to agendize a “No-Staging Zone” policy for June 15. City-owned
or City-controlled property, such as public parks and public parking lots, should not to be
used as a staging ground for immigration enforcement activity. Our tax-funded public
property belongs to the people who live here, not to the agents terrorizing them. Our tax
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Law Foundation of Silicon Valley | 4 North Second Street, Suite 1300 | San Jose, CA 95113
dollars should strengthen schools, hospitals, and safe neighborhoods - not tear our
families apart. I do not want to see my Gilroy controlled by untrained, armed ICE agents.
Gilroy should join the Cities of Campbell, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, San Jose, and VTA, as
well as Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Mateo, San Francisco and Alameda Counties to adopt
a “No Staging Zone” policy. It has been developed with thorough review by County Counsel
and the City Attorneys, so you can be assured that the policy has solid legal standing and
minimizes risk.
As the City has been built by our diverse immigrant and farmworker communities, we must
pass and implement all protections to make our City truly safe from the harms of
immigration enforcement. Thank you for your courage in creating this powerful resolution
to publicly oppose any immigration detention facility in Gilroy and for your bold leadership
in prioritizing the safety of our people.
Sincerely,
Law Foundation of Silicon Valley
Cynthia L. Chagolla
Chief Program Officer