A bunch of elected leaders and nonprofit organizations are calling on San Jose to strengthen its safety of the immigrant group as potential threats, together with extra aggressive federal immigration enforcement, loom from the incoming Trump administration.
Councilmembers Peter Ortiz, Pamela Campos, David Cohen, and Domingo Candelas have requested the town to evaluation its present efforts and discover the potential enlargement of monetary assets and providers to guard immigrants.
“Every resident should be able to trust their local government and feel confident in their public safety officers,” mentioned Candelas, whose mother and father immigrated to San Jose from Zacatecas, Mexico. “Fear and uncertainty should not cause our residents to be disengaged or disconnect when we face forces outside our city that seek to divide us and put people down (and) we must set up a united front to protect our community. That being said, the city of San Jose needs to reaffirm our commitment to providing a safe place for everyone to live (and) work, regardless of immigration status.”
Whereas Trump’s inauguration will happen on Jan. 20, communities in California had been caught off guard final week after U.S. Customs and Border Safety brokers detained 78 immigrants in Kern County, prompting the impetus to verify assets had been in place.
“One of the post-election consequences that we have to deal with right now is that those in D.C are fighting to see who can prove that they hate immigrants more,” mentioned Huy Tran, govt director of Companies, Immigrant Rights and Training Community (SIREN). “Right now in Congress, members are pressing forward a bill that will allow immigrant agents to detain and hold people who are really accused of crimes with no thought to the constitutional guarantees of due process. We have incoming department heads who are proudly sharing their plans to detain families and force them to separate from their children, forcing them to decide whether they abandon their U.S-born kids here.”
Ortiz, who has seen native tensions rise, together with false claims of raids final week in his district in East San Jose, mentioned San Jose has an extended historical past of standing up for immigrants’ rights. This consists of not cooperating with federal immigration enforcement and co-founding the Fast Response Community, a group protection mission that protects immigrants from deportation threats.
U.S. Census knowledge confirmed that foreign-born residents make up a big portion of the area people with greater than 40% of Santa Clara County residents — an estimated 773,000 group members — originating from exterior the USA. The information additionally estimated that fifty% of households embody a minimum of one immigrant and 54% of residents converse a language apart from English at house.
“Vibrant communities have flourished, enriching our city in countless ways,” mentioned Campos, the District 2 consultant and likewise a daughter of immigrants. “Together, they have created a legacy of resilience, innovation and strength that continues to define who we are. But today, there are voices telling us that we’re wrong, saying that some of us don’t belong here.”
Cohen, who represents North San Jose in District 4, mentioned San Jose has the sixth-highest proportion on this planet for residents born overseas, which added to the town’s originality and tradition.
He additionally famous that he wrote the primary decision in 2016 for a college in Northern California aimed toward defending college students when he sat on the Berryessa Union College District Board after listening to fears of what may occur to their households.
“Never did I imagine that eight years later, we’d be standing here again having the same conversation and partake in a position where things are potentially even scarier for people,” Cohen mentioned. “We are lucky to live in San Jose with its diversity. We are a city that values compassion and inclusivity and believes in the dignity of every person who calls San Jose home as one of the most diverse cities in the nation.”
Together with reviewing its current practices and potential methods it may develop assets, the town’s guidelines committee has accepted coordinating safety efforts with county officers and nonprofit companions and forwarding a decision to the Metropolis Council that affirms San Jose’s dedication to preserving the security and dignity of all residents, no matter immigration standing.
“If we do not adequately protect our immigrant community, our city will greatly suffer, and that’s why we need to act now to protect and strengthen the Rapid Response Network to prepare for any legal battles and reaffirm our commitment that no city employee, including our police department, will inquire about legal status or cooperate with immigrant enforcement,” Ortiz mentioned. “Our immigrant heritage makes the city of San Jose great and it’s time for the city of San Jose to stand with its immigrant community.”
San Jose police officers have already reiterated that the division wouldn’t inquire concerning the immigration standing of residents obeying the legislation.
“Our officers will not detain, question, or arrest individuals solely for the purpose of determining whether they are undocumented,” San Jose Police Chief Paul Joseph mentioned in November following Trump’s victory. “This longstanding policy ensures that law-abiding individuals, including undocumented immigrants, can come forward to report crimes or seek help without fear of deportation or arrest.”
Santa Clara County, which has already devoted $5 million in monetary assets, lauded the town’s initiative however famous that the group would possible want extra assist from governmental businesses.
“The work to support our community through the next federal administration is critical,” Deputy County Govt David Campos wrote in a letter to the town’s guidelines committee. “… Our county is diverse, and our role as government is to work towards a community where everyone can live, work, play, and thrive.”
