SAN JOSE — City and county leaders Tuesday approved measures to protect undocumented residents from deportation under President-elect Donald Trump’s administration, an approach in helping what lawmakers called Silicon Valley’s most vulnerable population.
Santa Clara County supervisors agreed to invest about $1.5 million over two years toward legal aid for undocumented immigrants in danger of deportation by the incoming administration — and would include all but the most violent criminal offenders as potential recipients. The board will give final approval at a later date.
San Jose city leaders approved a communications campaign to educate immigrants about their rights, working with schools to craft “safety plans,” and easing restrictions to allow churches to provide sanctuary to undocumented residents if deportation sweeps occur.
More than 180,000 undocumented immigrants reside in Santa Clara County, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. The aggressive city and county plans provide some solace to residents such as Maria Sanchez.
Sanchez, 54, a mother of two teens, is undocumented and fears the incoming president’s policies will tear her family apart. She’s hopeful local lawmakers can protect her.
“We came here to provide a better life for our family,” said Sanchez, a San Jose daycare worker. “Now I’m worried they’ll lose their mom.”
Sanchez’s fear is echoed in minority communities throughout Silicon Valley — among both documented and undocumented residents — compelling city and county leaders to take steps to protect immigrants ten days before Trump is to be sworn into office.
Trump supporters on Tuesday called the sweeping measures a “scare tactic” from liberal Democrats.
“President-elect Trump is not going to be revoking people’s citizenships. This is all about people being in the country illegally,” said Corrin Rankin, who chaired the state’s African-Americans for Trump coalition. “Trump has never talked about mass deportations or going door-to-door. All he wants to do is enforce the current laws on the book.”
The city plan, proposed by Mayor Sam Liccardo and backed by council members Raul Peralez, Sergio Jimenez, Magdalena Carrasco and Sylvia Arenas, suggests forming a coalition to provide information through hotlines, text messages and social media. It also included creating “safe spaces” in city-owned facilities such as libraries to provide pro-bono legal services.
The plan was approved at a Tuesday council meeting on a 9-1 vote. Councilwoman Dev Davis was opposed, citing concerns about duplicating social services already provided by the county. Councilman Lan Diep was absent. City officials said they did not expect the approved measures to add significant cost but that they would discuss that at a later time.
At the county board of supervisors’ Tuesday meeting, supervisors were told that their dedicated funds to aid immigrants would be matched by private foundations. That would make up to $3 million available for legal assistance and outreach for residents who may be targeted by Trump’s policies. Currently, the county spends about $5.5 million on immigration programs.
The measures approved Tuesday were touted as a way to calm fears in minority communities.
Yasmin Fernandez, a Mexico native who’s lived here for 12 years, says she’s been living in fear since Trump won the election. During the campaign, he pledged to build a wall along the border with Mexico and criticized illegal immigrants for contributing to crime. Though Fernandez is a citizen, she worries the new president’s policies might target her.
“This is my country and I work hard,” said Fernandez, 34. “I’m not a criminal. I’m just trying to support my family.”
Advocacy group leaders say their phones have been ringing nonstop since Election Day — immigrants want to know their rights under the new administration. Groups like SIREN, an immigrant and refuge rights organization, have fielded 1,500 calls since the election.
Executive Director Maricela Gutierrez applauded the city and county plans to educate immigrants.
“People now line up outside our doors early in the morning to speak with our legal staff,” Gutierrez said. “We’re assuring them that we’ll do everything in our power to make sure immigrants are safe.”
Supervisors weighed the delicate question Tuesday of who should benefit from taxpayer-funded legal advice.
“Probably one of the most important parts is the difference between three potential groups,” said County Executive Jeff Smith. “It’s either services for everyone, services for those who do not have serious or violent felony convictions or services for those who do not have violent felony convictions.”
Those differences echo an uproar heard in the aftermath of the slaying of Kate Steinle in San Francisco in July 2015 by an undocumented immigrant with a lengthy record of drug crimes and deportations who was not reported to U.S. immigration authorities because of a noncooperation policy.
Many counties — including Santa Clara — agreed to cooperate with ICE requests when the subject had a record of state-defined “serious or violent” crimes.
Supervisor Cindy Chavez made the motion to have staff go forward with a plan that would exclude people who have committed violent felonies in the past 10 years. That list includes murder or attempted murder, mayhem, rape and other sex crimes, robbery, arson and extortion, and other crimes.
San Jose has long called itself a “sanctuary city” for immigrant residents — and city leaders reaffirmed that stance weeks after Trump won the election. Liccardo and law enforcement leaders vowed that the city’s police department won’t become a deportation force under the incoming presidential administration.
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Through its Office of Immigrant Affairs, San Jose adopted a “Welcoming San Jose” plan to help immigrants integrate into the community, and learn about city services and their rights. The City Council voted Tuesday to prioritize portions of that plan — such as strengthening relationships between police and immigrant communities.
