The Trump administration says hiding immigration agents’ identities, including by wearing masks, keeps them safe. But critics say it’s a recipe for confusion that escalates the risk of injury for officers and the public. Armed, plainclothes agents with covered faces are taking on a bigger role in the Trump administration’s efforts to meet a 3,000-a-day...
Santa Clara County immigrants are self-deporting
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...
Santa Clara County growers unclear about ICE policy
South County growers are walking a tightrope between trusting the Trump administration to support them while hoping their workers aren’t caught in ICE raids. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in East San Jose have led to concerns about whether immigrant farmworkers will feel safe enough to work during the approaching harvest season, namely...
Editorial: Immigrants are the backbone of Santa Clara County
Nearly 40 years ago, two parents clutched their frightened daughters’ hands to make a treacherous overnight escape from war-torn Iran in the 1980s. The family couldn’t carry more than a suitcase of family photos and mementos. They narrowly fled air bombs dropped by Saddam Hussein’s regime on their country, fleeing buildings and hospitals where tarps...
Lawmakers predict Trump will send troops to more states over immigration
Democratic senators are grappling with the possibility that cities they represent could become the center of the next fight over the military being used against American civilians. President Donald Trump’s weekend post calling for expanded deportation efforts in the biggest U.S. cities raised alarms for the Democratic lawmakers who represent California, Illinois and New York....
San Jose allocates money for immigrant defense
San Jose officials have squeezed funding out of the 2025-26 budget to support education and legal services in defense of the city’s immigrant community. The San Jose City Council on June 10 unanimously approved $1 million going to immigrant defense organizations like Amigos de Guadalupe and the Services, Immigrant Rights, and Education Network (SIREN) —...
California immigrant fast-food workers afraid to report work abuses
A report on fast-food workers shows immigrants are often too scared to report violations and are largely unaware of their rights. The California Fast Food Workers Union’s latest report done in collaboration with the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights documents worker experiences. The groups surveyed 405 workers at more than 200 fast-food locations throughout the...
San Jose Latino businesses say ICE reports scaring customers
Immigrant-owned businesses in East San Jose have suffered huge losses in revenue and foot traffic since reports of federal ICE officers went viral earlier this year. Fear swept through the undocumented immigrant community in San Jose after the Target store on Story Road became the location of an isolated Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation in January. While...
Federal cuts end Campbell theater citizenship ceremonies
About seven people gathered in a confused cluster around a notice on the windows of the Heritage Theatre in Campbell to learn their path to citizenship was no longer available there. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) canceled its longstanding contract with the theater March 12 due to a “termination for convenience of the government”...
What San Jose residents can do if stopped by ICE
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have been recently spotted in East San Jose, as mass deportation orders under President Donald Trump are being carried out nationwide. With fear being stoked in immigrant communities, individuals should know their rights and be prepared if approached by ICE agents, Chava Bustamante, former executive director of Latinos...