In a unanimous decision, the San José City Council approved a resolution that is focused on protecting immigrants despite mass deportation efforts set by the Trump administration on Tuesday.
Although President Donald Trump has already sanctioned deportation flights to Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp as a means to combat undocumented immigration, according to a Forbes article, the City of San José has made it clear that they do not agree.
Many residents of San José, advocacy groups and immigration lawyers came to talk to the council about the importance of approving the resolution and the impact that immigrants have in the community.
Brandon Dawkins, vice president of organizing for the Service Employees International Union, referred to immigrants as the “backbone of this city” when urging the council to support the resolution.
“We just ask that you protect the rights of the workers and stand with them so that they can continue to carry the city on their backs,” Dawkins said.
While there aren’t any legislative initiatives attached to the resolution, a few of the city council members, including San José Mayor Matt Mahan spoke on not aiding the federal government’s efforts.
“The policy that we are reaffirming today is fundamentally as others have stated is that our police department does not ask about status and does not engage in enforcement that is solely for the purpose of enforcing immigration law,” Mahan said.
According to an article from the Spartan Daily, there have been sightings of U.S. Immigration and Enforcement Customs (ICE) in parts of San José leaving many immigrants worried about their protection.
Mahan also explained to the audience that because the deportations are a federal initiative, it is out of the city's control because the council is operating within a local government threshold.
While Mahan doesn’t claim the term sanctuary city in a Jan. 29, NBC Bay Area article, he ensures the public that the city will do its best to protect immigrants while still operating in the confines of the law.
“There’s a lot of federal law that is simply not our jurisdiction,” Mahan said. “We do not have the staffing, it does not further the good of the community or make us safer or stronger as a city to be going around asking people for some sort of documentation.”
Ariana Lacson, San José State Associated Students (A.S.) president, released a statement in response to ICE being active in San José.
“I want to reaffirm to every member of our community you belong here,” Lacson said. “San Jose State University is committed to upholding the values of inclusivity, equity and support for all students regardless of your citizenship or immigration status.”
Mahan also invited San José Police Department Chief Paul Joseph to clarify with the audience what officers can and can’t do if there happens to be ICE activity.
“We will never detain anybody or arrest anybody because of immigration status,” Joseph said. “However, I can’t actively thwart something that a federal agency is doing any more than I could stop the FBI from coming to the city and taking some kind of action.”
San José also hosted its annual Day of Immigrants where businesses shut down for a day to give notice to what the city could be like with immigrants which can be seen in a Monday article from KTVU.
According to a statistic from DATAUSA, immigrants make up 40% of San Josè workforce. Newly instated interim council member Carl Salas shared the importance of immigrants’ presence in San José.
“I also recognize the critical value that all of our people, especially our immigrants bring to this great city relative to the economy, diversity and humanity,” Salas said. “So I just want you all to know that I’m really proud to support this resolution.”
