HomeMy WebLinkAbout07 27 2026 - Public Comment - Mani Bekele1
Stefan Mercer
From:Mani Bekele <manimandm0@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, July 27, 2026 12:58 PM
To:Public Comments
Subject:EXTERNAL - City Council Meeting Today Public Comment
Dear Mayor Bozzo, Mayor Pro Tempore Hilton, and City Council,
I am 17 years old. Twenty years ago, my cousin was my age, and he was a recent immigrant from our
impoverished and war-ravaged home country of Ethiopia. After the government failed to mail him the
paperwork he needed to complete the next step toward legal permanent residency, that young,
hardworking, law-abiding boy was arrested at gunpoint, detained for several weeks, and deported in
hand and ankle cuffs like a criminal. Thankfully, he has gone on to have a successful life back home and
has contributed significantly as an entrepreneur back in Ethiopia -- contributions that the government did
not allow him to make here. This is now one of the least terrifying outcomes that can be imagined from an
interaction with ICE, as citizens, immigrants, and detainees are routinely being intimidated, beaten,
denied medical care and legal services, shot, and killed. Please do everything in your power to stop this
from happening to more families in our community. Attacks on Gilroy threaten our safety throughout the
rest of Northern California, but the rest of Northern California stands in support of Gilroy.
With the severity of our situation in mind, I urge you to immediately take the following actions:
1. Join the Legal Fight: Sign the multi-agency amicus brief to permanently block the Holsclaw Road ICE
facility.
2. Establish a “No-Staging” Policy: Ban ICE from using public parks, parking lots, or municipal buildings
as staging grounds.
3. Deny Infrastructure Support: Refuse to grant utility hookups or municipal aid to the Holsclaw Road
property.
4. Strengthen Sanctuary Protections: Formally prohibit local police, city officials, and city funds from
assisting ICE.
Our community is watching. We need leaders who will stand up, refuse to cooperate with federal
overreach, and actively protect their constituents.
Thank you very much for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Mani Bekele
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