Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout06 15 2026 - Public Comment - Cara Silver1 Stefan Mercer From:CaraSilver@proton.me Sent:Monday, June 15, 2026 12:57 PM To:Public Comments; Mayor Greg Bozzo; Council Member Dion Bracco; Council Member Tom Cline; Council Member Terence Fugazzi; Council Member Zachary Hilton; Council Member Carol Marques; Council Member Kelly Ramirez Cc:Matt Morley Subject:EXTERNAL - Public Comment: Amicus Brief, No Staging Policy, Emergency Plan Subject: Public Comment: Amicus Brief, No Staging Policy, Emergency Plan Dear Mayor, Mayor Pro Tempore, and City Councilmembers, My name is Cara Silver. I am the co-chair of the Indivisible Palo Alto Plus Immigrant Rights Action team. I am also a municipal attorney and have been practicing for over 30 years. Thank you for unanimously approving the resolution opposing the proposed ICE facility on unincorporated County land near Gilroy. I'm writing to ask you to build on your resolution with three actions to provide concrete protections. 1. Before the end of June, join the amicus brief being filed by the County of Monterey with the Public Rights Project. The brief supports the lawsuit filed jointly by Santa Clara County and the California Attorney General on June 10. The counties of Monterey and Alameda and the cities of San Jose and Alameda have already signed on, with more in process. Gilroy belongs in this coalition. 2. Agendize a "No-Staging Zone" policy for your next Council meeting, prohibiting the use of City property — parking lots, parks, and other City-owned or City-controlled land — for civil immigration enforcement staging and operations. City property should be used for City and community purposes. Gilroy can move quickly, as Campbell, Sunnyvale, and Mountain View did, by adapting the policies adopted by San Jose (1/13/26) and Santa Clara (2/3/26). These were developed with thorough review by County Counsel and the San Jose City Attorney, and have also been adopted by VTA and the Counties of Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Mateo, San Francisco, and Alameda. Gilroy benefits from that legal groundwork. 3. Establish an emergency response plan so the City is prepared to protect public safety and support residents in the event of a large-scale enforcement operation, using the models from the City of San Jose and Santa Clara County to strengthen Gilroy's existing protocols. This matters to me because [personal reason — your story, your family's story, your business, what kind of city you want Gilroy to be]. Beyond the immense human cost — families torn apart, children losing parents, neighbors living in fear — these protections matter for our economy as well as our safety. A March 2026 report from the Bay Area Council Economic Institute found that mass deportation could reduce regional economic output by CAUTION: This email originated from an External Source. Please use proper judgment and caution when opening attachments, clicking links, or responding to this email. 2 as much as $67 billion annually. Gilroy's businesses depend on workers and customers who will be driven away by fear and detention. Gilroy has been built by diverse immigrant and farmworker communities. Thank you for your leadership, and for taking these next steps for the safety and well-being of our community. Respectfully, Cara Silver Indivisible Palo Alto Plus, Immigrant Rights Action Team Sent with Proton Mail secure email.