Across Santa Clara County, a new phenomenon is happening: immigrants are choosing to self-deport. It’s something immigration attorney Richard Hobbs has never seen in his 35-year career. There’s only been two people so far who have contacted his office to inform him of their decision — but Hobbs said other attorneys have told him people...
Morgan Hill report dismisses councilmember’s claims against mayor
Morgan Hill Councilmember Yvonne Martínez Beltrán said Mayor Mark Turner physically pushed her — and told her to “get in line” — after pressing him to address federal immigration crackdowns at a tense February meeting. Now city investigators are dismissing her claims. A June 9 probe — obtained by San José Spotlight — concludes Turner...
Santa Clara County projects $1B in Medi-Cal cuts
Congressional Republicans’ “big, beautiful bill” could deal a bleak, brutal blow to Santa Clara County’s public hospital system — the second largest in the state after expanding just months ago. President Donald Trump’s Fourth of July signing of H.R. 1, his watershed budget bill, has county leaders anticipating more than $1 billion in revenue losses...
Santa Clara County weighs bringing back zero bail
Dueling forces could swing Santa Clara County’s jail population back and forth, as officials look to revive zero cash bail and move those numbers down. County leaders recently mulled over the idea at a public safety hearing late last month. It’s unclear when or how they will push the debate forward — largely because it’s...
Next Santa Clara County assessor could reshape the valley
The outcome of the $13 million special election for a new Santa Clara County assessor will shape housing development and school funding in Silicon Valley. Nominations will be open from July 14 through Aug. 8 for candidates seeking to do one elected job: Determining property taxes. Candidates who wish to avoid paying a filing fee...
Santa Clara County Fourth of July fireworks to light up the sky
While some Fourth of July celebrations have been canceled, numerous cities and venues throughout Santa Clara County are going all out with festivities and fireworks. There are eight light shows across the county ready to dazzle residents. San Jose is hosting the city’s first drone show at Lake Cunningham. The city had planned to shoot...
Santa Clara County could lose millions in food assistance
The federal government is abandoning its role in providing critical social safety nets, advocates and policy watchers warned. The Senate reconciliation bill would cut $186 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) over the next decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office. It would be the largest cut in the program’s history. SNAP, known...
Santa Clara County property values up while growth slows
Santa Clara County property values are seeing their lowest growth in more than a decade due to economic uncertainty and stalled development. Yet the total net assessed value of all real estate and personal property – known as the assessment roll – reached a new height of nearly $726 billion, County Assessor Larry Stone announced...
Santa Clara County sheriff’s office struggles to probe misconduct
A new report from the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s oversight office said the county is lagging on internal affairs investigations into deputy misconduct. Over the course of 2024, the Sheriff’s Office of deputy misconduct investigations were routinely completed just days or weeks before the one-year statute of limitations had expired, according to the June 17...
Santa Clara County fights to stop homelessness
As Santa Clara County starts to plan what the next five years of tackling homelessness will look like, officials have reviewed the past five years — what worked and what continues to be a challenge. The county connected 17,485 homeless individuals to permanent housing as of 2024, and is on track and may even exceed...