A woman sits holding a baby and a protest sign
Sita Stukes sits with her son Archer outside San Jose City Hall during an immigration rally in 2019. File photo.

With the incoming presidential administration threatening mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, Santa Clara County is stepping up to protect them.

Santa Clara County has created policies and provided funding to defend immigrants against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), but is facing pushback. America First Legal Foundation, a conservative group led by President-elect Donald Trump’s former adviser Stephen Miller, sent letters warning California officials they could face legal consequences for policies forbidding compliance with federal immigration laws, including conspiracy to commit a federal offense and impeding a federal officer.

Santa Clara County has longstanding policies to not cooperate with immigration enforcement, County Executive James Williams said. County resources, information and staff — including law enforcement — will not be shared with ICE for the purposes of immigration enforcement.

“We faced these threats … back in the first Trump administration and successfully defended the county’s policies in court then,” Williams told San José Spotlight. “These policies of noncooperation … are longstanding, core county principles.”

State Sen. Dave Cortese said mass deportation could happen in Santa Clara County, as ICE swept local transit stations for undocumented immigrants in 2007.

“I think Trump is planning on carrying that threat out, probably in a bigger way,” Cortese told San José Spotlight. “It’s going to look like small platoons of federal law enforcement officers or deputized federal employees … coming into areas they feel have high concentrations of undocumented workers and grabbing them.”

While local and state officials can’t stop ICE from coming in, Cortese said they can fund legal assistance for those accused of being undocumented.

Last month, the Board of Supervisors approved $5 million for immigrant defense, adding to nearly $6 million in annual legal funding to support immigrant communities. During Trump’s first term in office in 2016, Santa Clara County and San Francisco jointly secured an injunction preventing an executive order to withhold funds from jurisdictions that didn’t help ICE.

“We’re all waiting to see how aggressive this administration’s going to be in terms of deploying,” Cortese said. “We can’t stop him. It’s all about providing due process.”

Congressmember Sam Liccardo hopes the Trump administration will focus its resources on violent criminals instead of mass deportations that could separate families.

“I’m gravely concerned, and our neighbors feel deeply afraid, especially as Trump threatens to repeal protections that would subject even schools and hospitals to ICE raids,” Liccardo told San José Spotlight. “Once again, we’ll find whatever we can to support and assist our longstanding community members living in fear of deportation.”

Liccardo said federal resources for mass deportation are estimated to cost $88 billion annually for additional detention centers, ICE staff and other resources. Without sufficient funding, it could slow down the efforts.

Maritza Maldonado, executive director of Amigos de Guadalupe, recommends residents know their rights and call the Rapid Response Network hotline at 408-290-1144 if they spot ICE in their neighborhood.

“Our message is power, not panic. Our diversity is our strength,” she told San José Spotlight. “We lived through this already eight years ago. We will survive the next four years.”

The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement it has a responsibility to protect all residents, regardless of immigration status, and won’t assist with federal immigration enforcement unless there is a serious criminal threat. San Jose Police Chief Paul Joseph said in a statement officers won’t detain, question or arrest people solely for the purpose of determining if they are undocumented.Keep our journalism free for everyone!Both law enforcement offices want residents to be comfortable reporting crimes or seeking assistance without fear of immigration repercussions.  

“I understand that the fear of immigration enforcement can hinder trust and cooperation with local law enforcement,” Sheriff Bob Jonsen told San José Spotlight. “We believe that by not inquiring about an individual’s immigration status, or collaborating with ICE, we can build stronger, more trusting relationships within our community.”

Supervisor Otto Lee said the county won’t concede to fear, anger, hate and ignorance — and will pursue legal proceedings to protect residents.

“The county of Santa Clara is going to protect our immigrant families and continue to provide them with the services, care, legal support and respect they deserve,” Lee told San José Spotlight.

Contact Lorraine Gabbert at [email protected].

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