February 3, 2025
Mayor & City Council
City of San José
200 East Santa Clara Street, 18th Floor
San José, CA 95113
Sent via electronic mail
Re: Item 2.9, Resolution Reaffirming the City’s Commitment to Preserving the Safety and Dignity of All Its Residents (Consent)
Dear Mayor Mahan, Vice Mayor Foley, and City Council:
We write to support the “Resolution Reaffirming the City’s Commitment to Preserving the Safety and Dignity of All Its Residents, Regardless of National Origin or Legal Status.” The current federal administration has been transparent in its intent to bolster harmful immigration enforcement efforts, including a mass deportation program. As these threats began to actualize in our community, we urge the Council to take robust action to protect San José’s immigrant populations. Simply put, these policies would harm all of us by tearing apart immigrant families, communities, and the fabric of our diverse, beautiful, and thriving city.
We also ask considering of additional actions that Council could direct staff to undertake in response to what is sure to be a slow-moving disaster:
1/ Create a cross-sector Post-election Task Force, not unlike Silicon Valley Strong’s Silicon Valley Recovery Roundtable and community-based Recovery Task Force, to address not only response to attacks on immigrant families, but to also anticipate and strategize responses to other federal actions such as funding cuts and policy changes. Work with cities, counties, business leaders, philanthropy, nonprofits, and grassroots leaders to co-create the Task Force. We recommend staffing the Task Force with additional budget resources for paid staff and consultant facilitators/researchers.
2/ Create a visible and easy-to-navigate webpage (in multiple languages) for immigrant families to find resources. Work with community-based agencies and the Rapid Response Network to create the page and ensure its accuracy and accessibility.
3/ Evaluate the City’s ordinance and implementation policies relating to ICE non-cooperation to ensure that any exceptions to the policy of non-cooperation are as narrow as possible. Bring the evaluation back to Rules for next steps. The points made by Silicon Valley De-Bug are well taken.
4/ Ensure that the City invests in immigrant legal services and expansion for the Rapid Response Network through the budget process. We understand that an MBA will be provided to inform Council of funding options.
We express our appreciation again to Councilmembers Ortiz, Campos, Cohen, and Candelas for their memorandum that led to this proposed ordinance.
Sincerely,
Maritza Maldonado
Amigos de Guadalupe
Vaughn Villaverde
Asian Americans for Community
Involvement
Richard Konda
Asian Law Alliance
Elisa Koff-Ginsborg
Behavioral Health Contractors’
Association (BHCA)
Josh Selo
Bill Wilson Center
Don Taylor
Catholic Charities of Santa Clara
County
Lori Ramos Chavez
ConXion to Community
Erin O’Brien
Community Solutions
Wesley Saver
HealthRIGHT 360
Darcie Green
Latinas Contra Cancer
Alison Brunner
Law Foundation of Silicon Valley
Anjee Helstrup-Alvarez
MACLA/Movimiento de Arte y
Cultura Latino Americana
Héctor Sánchez-Flores
National Compadres Network
Colsaria Henderson
Next Door Solutions to Domestic
Violence
Eva Terrazas
Pacific Clinics
Maricon Malimban
Pilipino Association of Workers and
Immigrants South Bay
Poncho Guevara
Sacred Heart Community Service
James P Reber
San José Parks Foundation
Wisa Uemura
San Jose Taiko
Kyra Kazantzis
Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits
Huy Tran
SIREN
Victor Vasquez
Saul Ramos
SOMOS Mayfair, Si Se Puede
Collective
Michael Elliott
Valley Health Foundation
Bao Trieu
Vietnamese Voluntary Foundation
(VIVO)
Maria Noel Fernandez
Working Partnerships USA
Jonathan D. Gomez, Ph.D.
Chicana and Chicano Studies
San One Washington Square
José State University
Tel: 408-924-5855
Email:
[email protected]
College of Social Sciences San José, CA 95192-0118 Fax: 408-924-5700
San José City Council
City of San José
200 E. Santa Clara Street,
San José, CA 95113
Re: Council Agenda: 2/4/2025; File: 25-081; Item: 2.9
Dear Members of the San José City Council,
I write to express my strongest support for the proposed motion to reaffirm San José’s commitment to protecting the rights, safety, and dignity of its immigrant communities, especially in light of the ongoing threats posed by the current federal administration. As a professor at San José State University, working closely with educators, cultural workers, students, and families in the community, I witness firsthand the critical role that immigrant communities play in our city’s cultural, social, and economic vitality.
San José’s diverse immigrant populations are not only essential to our workforce, but they are also deeply embedded in the cultural life of the city. Immigrants contribute to the arts and education, own and operate businesses, and enrich our collective wellbeing. As such, it is vital that our city continues to stand as a sanctuary for these communities, ensuring their safety, dignity, and access to services and programs.
As stated in the memorandum, the fear generated by the current presidential administration’s immigration policies, including mass deportations, poses an existential threat to our neighbors and community members. As the motion rightly outlines, such policies can lead to decreased engagement in civic life, withdrawal from schools, and avoidance of necessary healthcare services, all of which have detrimental effects on our collective well-being. In times like these, it is critical that the City of San José reaffirm its commitment to ensuring social and cultural rights of immigrant communities.
I fully support the proposed actions outlined in the motion, particularly the expansion of the Rapid Response Network and the recommendation to provide additional funding for legal assistance and services to those most in need. These efforts will help mitigate the fear that is currently frightening the hearts and minds of our community members and will ensure that we stand together as a city where ALL residents are able to thrive.
As a civically engaged community member and educator, I stand in solidarity with the City’s efforts to protect and uplift immigrant communities. I encourage the City Council to adopt this resolution and to continue advocating for policies that promote justice, equity, and safety for all of San José’s residents, regardless of national origin or legal status.
Thank you for your attention to this critical issue, and for your continued leadership in making San José a place where all people are treated with respect and dignity.
Sincerely,
Jonathan D. Gomez, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies
San José State University
San José City Council
City of San José
200 E. Santa Clara Street,
San José, CA 95113
Re: Council Agenda: 2/4/2025; File: 25-081; Item: 2.9
Dear Members of the San José City Council,
My name is Alberto Camacho and I am a proud child of immigrants and East Side resident. I’ve lived nearly my entire life on McKee and White, surrounded and nurtured by neighbors from all over the world —amazing people who have informed the man I am today. My parents arrived here at different points of their lives, with both seeking el sueño Americano. While in search of that dream, they navigated throughout an entirely foreign system, often afraid and anxious, but deep down they knew their community would support them and so would the people in power whose families also came in search of a dream.
I write to you all urging to pass the motion that supports our immigrant communities here in San José, a city that’s known for its tenderness, empathy, and strong sense of community. As an educator within the East Side of San José, I make sure to replicate those traits that San José has shown my parents and community. My students, their families, my family, and me hope that you vote to protect those who so often speak, but are often left unheard.
Throughout these couple of weeks, I have had students share with me their fear, their anger, and desperation as they go day by day living with an uncertainty that impacts their day to day.
Fortunately, the Rapid Response Network is available to support them with legal assistance and some sort of stability. I know for a fact that without the support of the Rapid Response Network, many the families I serve would fall through the cracks. I want to reiterate my hope that you vote in favor of the motion that seeks to support nuestra gente.
On behalf of my parents, the community I serve, and myself, I thank you for your time and careful consideration to protect our families from vengeful acts rooted in hate and racism.
Best,
Alberto Camacho
February 3, 2025
The Honorable Matt Mahan
200 E. Santa Clara St.
San José, CA 95113
[email protected]
Submitted via electronic mail
Re: Item 2.9, File #25-081 - Resolution Reaffirming the City’s Commitment to Preserving the Safety and Dignity of all its Residents, Regardless of National Origin or Legal Status – SUPPORT
Dear Mayor Mahan and Councilmembers,
On behalf of HealthRIGHT 360, I write in strong support of the Resolution Reaffirming the City’s Commitment to Preserving the Safety and Dignity of All Its Residents, Regardless of National Origin or Legal Status. The current federal administration has signaled its intent to ramp up harmful immigration enforcement policies, including a mass deportation program that poses an existential threat to many San José residents. This resolution is a critical step in ensuring that our immigrant communities remain protected and supported in these uncertain times.
HealthRIGHT 360 is a nonprofit provider of substance use disorder treatment, mental health services, and primary care to over 45,000 Californians annually. We provide compassionate, non-judgmental, and evidence-based care, regardless of one’s ability to pay, guided by our belief that healthcare is a right, not a privilege.
From a public health perspective, San José must uphold and expand existing policies that allow immigrant Californians to participate in our communities and access care and support without fear of discrimination or traumatic detention or deportation. A study conducted with over 100 immigrant substance users in San Francisco found that a significant percentage of participants did not access substance use disorder treatment services due to fears of being arrested by police or immigration authorities.1 Failing to protect our immigrant neighbors will exacerbate health inequities among communities that already face barriers to accessing medical support. Studies have shown that policing and fear of deportation deter undocumented immigrant communities from seeking health services. 2 Given these public health risks, the City must take proactive steps to protect immigrant residents. We must urgently invest in comprehensive, evidence-based public health approaches and reject xenophobia.
San José has long been a leader in standing up for immigrant rights. As new threats emerge, we urge the Council to go further by taking decisive and proactive measures to protect vulnerable residents. In the face of escalating federal policies that endanger immigrant communities, it is imperative that San José 2 Friedman AD, Venkataramani, AS. “Chilling Effects: US Immigration Enforcement And Health Care Seeking Among Hispanic Adults.” Health Affairs. 2021 Jul, Vol. 40, No. 7. https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/full/10.1377/hlthaff.2020.02356 1 “Groundbreaking new report highlights overdose prevention needs of Latino/x communities in San Francisco.” San Francisco AIDS Foundation. Nov 28, 2022.
https://www.sfaf.org/collections/status/groundbreaking-new-report-highlights-overdose-prevention-needs-of-latin o-x-communities-in-san-francisco/
986 Mission Street San Francisco California 94103 (415) 762-3700 www.healthRIGHT360.org moves swiftly to reaffirm its allyship and implement tangible protections. This resolution must be the beginning of a broader, sustained effort to safeguard the rights and dignity of all residents.
Thank you for your leadership and consideration. We urge you to approve this resolution and take the necessary steps to strengthen San José’s role as a safe and welcoming city for all. For questions regarding our position, please contact me at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Wesley Saver | Director of Policy
& Public Affairs
Policy & Public Affairs Department
986 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94103-2543
Cc: Of
fice of the City Clerk via [email protected]
San José City Council
City of San José
200 E. Santa Clara Street,
San José, CA 95113
Re: Council Agenda: 2/4/2025; File: 25-081; Item: 2.9
Dear Members of the San José City Council,
My name is Annie Abundiz, proud daughter of immigrants, who was born and raised in east side San Jose. As a
first generation student, educator, and resident of district 5, I have seen the invaluable worth and contributions of our immigrant community first hand. In an intercambio of cultures from all over the world, this community has woven together a story of courage, empathy, cariño, perseverance, and hope that makes the heartbeat of San Jose. Testimonies of people like my parents show the valor it takes to entrust a place and people unfamiliar to oneself, seeking out a better life for their and future generations. Many like them arrive in this country with a sel fless
heart and gratitude to sought out opportunities. Today, the presidential administration has generated a state of fear and anxiety, threatening essential rights and protections for immigrants.
I urge you all to take a stance in protecting the civic and cultural rights of immigrant communities by passing the motion in item 2.9. Our collective well being is dependent on the safety, inclusion, and upliftment of immigrant communities in all places of learning, work, and leisure. As a former elementary educator, I have witnessed the sacri fices alongside the joys of
families constructing a world better than our present for future generations. These parents and caregivers give meaning to the concept: “Planting seeds for trees we may never get to witness”.
Moving with empathy, tenacity, and a sel
fless heart, immigrant communities have been the
keepers of San Jose’s freedom dreams for many generations. Nuestro barrio es vibrante por el color, la música y cultura de estos artistas - artists who use what tools they have to multiply the life around them.
By expanding the Rapid Response Network alongside legal assistance and services, eastside San Jose does right by our indebtment to immeasurable contributions from immigrant communities.
San Jose is to be more than a sanctuary – a place where my neighbors, students, and comrades are not halted to fear – where we take care of one another’s holistic wellbeing beyond survival.
Thank you for your attention to this critical issue, and for your continued leadership in making San José a place where all people are treated with respect and dignity.
Sincerely,
Annie Abundiz
February 3, 2025
Dear Mayor Mahan and Members of the San José City Council, My name is Darcie Green, and I write to you as the Executive Director of Latinas Contra Cancer, an organization that has served immigrant patients and families in San José for over 20 years. Our work is dedicated to ensuring that everyone—regardless of immigration status—has access to the care, resources, and support they need to live healthy lives.
Every day, we see the fear and barriers that keep families from accessing care. Many of our patients delay or avoid seeking medical attention—not because they don’t need it, but because they fear deportation, discrimination, or the financial burden of accessing services. When families don’t feel safe, they don’t seek care. When legal protections are uncertain, their well-being suffers.
That’s why this memo is so critical. Expanding legal aid, strengthening safety measures, and affirming San José’s commitment to immigrant protections are not just policy choices—they are life-saving actions. A city that protects its immigrant communities is a city that ensures all its residents can live, work, and contribute without fear.
San José has long been a city of opportunity and inclusion. This is an opportunity to lead with courage and compassion and make it clear that our city stands with all of its residents.
I urge you to support this memo and take bold action to protect our neighbors, our families, and the health of our entire community.
Thank you for your leadership and commitment to ensuring San José remains a city where everyone—regardless of where they were born—can feel safe, supported, and valued.
Sincerely,
Darcie Green
Executive Director, Latinas Contra Cancer
Resident, City of San Jose
February 4, 2025
Mayor & City Council
City of San José
200 East Santa Clara Street, 18th Floor
San José, CA 95113
Sent via electronic mail
Re: Item 2.9, Resolution Reaffirming the City’s Commitment to Preserving the Safety and Dignity of All Its Residents (Consent)
Dear Mayor Mahan, Vice Mayor Foley, and City Council:
We write to support the “Resolution Reaffirming the City’s Commitment to Preserving the Safety and Dignity of All Its Residents, Regardless of National Origin or Legal Status.” The current federal administration has been transparent in its intent to bolster harmful immigration enforcement efforts, including a mass deportation program. As these threats began to actualize in our community, we urge the Council to take robust action to protect San José’s immigrant populations. Simply put, these policies would harm all of us by tearing apart immigrant families, communities, and the fabric of our diverse, beautiful, and thriving city.
We also ask considering of additional actions that Council could direct staff to undertake in response to what is sure to be a slow-moving disaster:
1/ Create a cross-sector Post-election Task Force, not unlike Silicon Valley Strong’s Silicon Valley Recovery Roundtable and community-based Recovery Task Force, to address not only response to attacks on immigrant families, but to also anticipate and strategize responses to other federal actions such as funding cuts and policy changes. Work with cities, counties, business leaders, philanthropy, nonprofits, and grassroots leaders to co-create the Task Force. We recommend staffing the Task Force with additional budget resources for paid staff and consultant facilitators/researchers.
2/ Create a visible and easy-to-navigate webpage (in multiple languages) for immigrant families to find resources. Work with community-based agencies and the Rapid Response Network to create the page and ensure its accuracy and accessibility.
3/ Evaluate the City’s ordinance and implementation policies relating to ICE non-cooperation to ensure that any exceptions to the policy of non-cooperation are as narrow as possible. Bring the evaluation back to Rules for next steps. The points made by Silicon Valley De-Bug are well taken.
4/ Ensure that the City invests in immigrant legal services and expansion for the Rapid Response Network through the budget process. We understand that an MBA will be provided to inform Council of funding options.
We express our appreciation again to Councilmembers Ortiz, Campos, Cohen, and Candelas for their memorandum that led to this proposed ordinance.
Sincerely,
Maritza Maldonado
Amigos de Guadalupe, Si Se Puede
Collective
Vaughn Villaverde
Asian Americans for Community
Involvement
Richard Konda
Asian Law Alliance
Elisa Koff-Ginsborg
Behavioral Health Contractors’
Association (BHCA)
Josh Selo
Bill Wilson Center
Don Taylor
Catholic Charities of Santa Clara
County
Lori Ramos Chavez
ConXion to Community
Erin O’Brien
Community Solutions
Veronica Goei
Grail Family Services, Si Se Puede
Collective
Wesley Saver
HealthRIGHT 360
Gabby Chavez-Lopez
Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley
Darcie Green
Latinas Contra Cancer
Alison Brunner
Law Foundation of Silicon Valley
Anjee Helstrup-Alvarez
MACLA/Movimiento de Arte y
Cultura Latino Americana
Héctor Sánchez-Flores
National Compadres Network
Colsaria Henderson
Next Door Solutions to Domestic
Violence
Eva Terrazas
Pacific Clinics
Maricon Malimban
Pilipino Association of Workers and
Immigrants South Bay
Poncho Guevara
Sacred Heart Community Service
James P Reber
San José Parks Foundation
Wisa Uemura
San Jose Taiko
Jessica Paz-Cedillos
School of Arts & Culture at MHP, Si
Se Puede Collective
Kyra Kazantzis
Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits
Huy Tran
SIREN
Victor Vasquez & Saul Ramos
SOMOS Mayfair, Si Se Puede
Collective
Michael Elliott
Valley Health Foundation
Shawn Gerth
Veggielution, Si Se Puede Collective
Bao Trieu
Vietnamese Voluntary Foundation
(VIVO)
Philip Nguyen
Vietnamese American Roundtable
Maria Noel Fernandez
Working Partnerships USA