Amid panic over a potential immigration crackdown, Santa Clara County officials are launching a media campaign to highlight the contributions of foreign-born residents.
The Board of Supervisors planned a press conference this morning to talk about the services available for immigrants in the community—regardless of their legal status.
Officials organized the presser days after the San Francisco Chronicle broke the news that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) planned to arrest as many as 1,500 people in a Bay Area sweep. The threats come a week after the feds descended on a Santa Clara 7-Eleven as part of a nationwide sting on the mini-mart franchise.
State officials warned companies that it’s against California law to volunteer information about undocumented workers to ICE, and that immigration officials need a judicial warrant to review employer records and set foot on private parts of a worksite.
San Jose police and other local agencies contacted by San Jose Inside said they were unaware of a planned dragnet. “We have not heard anything about any major ICE operations in San Jose,” SJPD spokeswoman Officer Gina Tepoorten said in an email earlier this week.
But community groups have been bracing for ramped-up immigration arrests by referring people to the Rapid Response Network, a volunteer-run hotline that sends observers to the site of suspected ICE raids. The hotline also connects impacted families with legal services and other help.
Tamara Alvarado, head of Mexican Heritage Plaza in San Jose’s East Side, said she heard reports of an arrest at Story and King roads this week. She took to Facebook to warn people in the neighborhood and urge them to call their lawmakers for more details and call the hotline if they spotted another raid.
Leading up to the county’s press conference this morning, officials released the following data about immigrants in the South Bay.
- Santa Clara County is one of the most diverse places in the world, with approximately 700,000 of county residents (39 percent of the county’s population) born outside of the United States, and more than 80 major languages spoken in the county.
- The top 10 languages spoken in Santa Clara County are: English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Cantonese, Tagalog, Hindi, Mandarin, Korean, Telugu and Tamil, respectively.
- Latinos account for more than a quarter of the residents in Santa Clara County; 25 percent of the county’s immigrants speak Spanish.
- Foreign-born Latinos have some health advantages over US-born Latinos, but are also less likely to have health insurance.
- The majority of immigrants in Santa Clara County come from Mexico, followed by India, Vietnam, China, The Philippines, Taiwan, Korea, Iran, Japan and Russia.
- In 2014, immigrants in Santa Clara County contributed an estimated $77 billion to the county’s economy through consumption and taxes.
- According to estimates, the immigrant population of Santa Clara County contributed almost $3 billion in state and local taxes in 2014; this includes property, income, sales, and excise taxes levied by either the State of California or by municipal governments. Immigrant households also contributed $7 billion in federal taxes, $5 billion to Social Security and $1 billion to Medicare.
There is no Double Jeopardy, you will punished for both and one is a felony.
I am waiting for your DA Rosen the Posey and Slick Liccardo ( You know the two guys that hid the sex tapes and put innocent people in jail and protected the doctor who allegedly was examining the victims but was found to be molesting them while examining them) I’d hide those tapes too! Hope they say or do something to obstruct so I can “Hookem’ and Bookem’.
There will shortly be the largest Law Enforcement coordinated launch on California Cities for Immigration control. The DOJ along with Assistant Attorneys General in Sacramento, San Francisco, San Jose (Santa Clara County in Whole) Los Angeles and San Diego coupled with the DEA in the aforementioned cities for closure and seizure of drugs, drug profits and properties being licensed for drug sales. The Launch points will commence from Prescott Arizona and fan out.
Now to the issue of The State, Counties and Cities in California claiming to be Sanctuary Areas. There is no such legal entity and Governors, other California Political leaders, Mayors, City Councils, Sheriffs, Local Police and any other sworn officer or person who hinders, hides or obstructs the Government in it’s Immigration Laws will be arrested on site or indicted and arrested. Any Police Officer that interferes will be arrested and charged under both State Law 148pc and Federal Law.
> There will shortly be the largest Law Enforcement coordinated launch on California Cities for Immigration control.
Well, so much for “operational security”.
> The DOJ along with Assistant Attorneys General in Sacramento, San Francisco, San Jose (Santa Clara County in Whole) Los Angeles and San Diego coupled with the DEA in the aforementioned cities for closure and seizure of drugs, drug profits and properties being licensed for drug sales.
There’s no verb in this sentence.
Just curious Jack,
Why would ICE lunch from Prescott AZ?
> Santa Clara County is one of the most diverse places in the world, with approximately 700,000 of county residents (39 percent of the county’s population) born outside of the United States, and more than 80 major languages spoken in the county.
Identity politics.
Which is just tribalism.
The “end game” of tribalism is tribal warfare: “My shaman can beat up your shaman.”
Yes too bad they don’t speak Englih
Pinnacles National Park used to be a quiet, easy to access, sparsely visited destination. Now it’s so crowded you have to park down below and wait in a diverse queue for a shuttle bus that’ll take you to Bear Gulch where you can join the diverse parade along the trail through the caves.
Yeah. Overpopulation is terrific!
I think ICE should start by rounding up the scofflaws politicians that want to make marteres of them selve.
Off to GITMO you must go, no bail till Charly Smucker passes a budget.
The fed should begin with locking up politicians and employers that perpetuate the illegal alien mess by providing aid and comfort to the invaders.
I.C.E. is here to stay.
David S. Wall
> Santa Clara County Launches Pro-Immigrant Campaign
It’s only fair.
I’m sure they’re launching offsetting Pro-Emigrant Campaigns in Haiti and El Salvador to keep the cosmos in balance.
Adios America, you citizens are not important anymore, BUT keep paying your taxes and more so illegal aliens can have their wonderful life in your country. American Dreamers don’t exist, only illegal ones too good to stand in line and become a citizen.
So let me get this straight, If I call ICE and tell them Sam Liccardo is an illegal alien working at city hall the state wants to throw me in jail for being a snitch. If I hide Sam out in the parking garage under city hall the Fed’s will cart me off to Ft. Leavenworth. Really how far away are we from seeing tanks and troops in our street with American flags on them?