County Supervisor Sylvia Arenas, who is leading the county effort, said the region\u2019s elected officials are trying to use physical barriers and a patchwork of new laws to foil ongoing immigration enforcement tactics she described as \u201chorrific.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a little bump in the road. But if that bump in the road distracts them and keeps some from coming to our community, I think that\u2019s helpful. So anything to irritate and to agitate those ICE agents, I think, is good,\u201d Arenas told KQED.<\/p>\n
The county policy would also call for signs to be posted on county properties, \u201cdeclaring the restriction of immigration enforcement\u201d there. The county would make similar signs available to private property and business owners for free if they want to display them.<\/p>\n
Ortiz recently spearheaded a new proposed policy in San Jos\u00e9 that would ban all law enforcement officers, including federal immigration agents, from wearing masks or face coverings and would require clear agency affiliation on their uniforms. The council will consider the ordinance for a formal vote on Oct. 28.<\/p>\n
He acknowledged it\u2019s possible federal authorities may ignore these kinds of local ordinances, or that they may end up being challenged in court, but said it\u2019s important to put them on the books nonetheless.<\/p>\n \u201cI took the lead in authoring this policy to make sure San Jos\u00e9 sets the standard that our city and county stands firmly on the side of our residents, and not with federal intimidation, because that\u2019s what this is,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Arenas said her late parents, who were immigrant farmworkers, often lived in fear of ICE knocking on their door, even when they were legal residents and later citizens.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd it\u2019s sad to say, but I\u2019m relieved that they\u2019re not here to see their worst fear,\u201d Arenas said. \u201cI\u2019m relieved that they didn\u2019t live to see the day Latinos were rounded up in such a savage and inhumane manner. I\u2019m relieved that my parents didn\u2019t live to see the day in which a president made this country believe in absurdities and then carry out monstrosities.\u201d<\/p>\n Lucila Ortiz (no relation to Peter Ortiz), the political director of community and labor organization Working Partnerships USA, said she\u2019s happy to see local leaders taking action proactively.<\/p>\n She noted federal budgets for immigration enforcement are increasing, the threat of the National Guard coming to the region, and influential figures like Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem saying ICE agents will be at the Super Bowl in Santa Clara next year.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not a hypothetical. This is happening now,\u201d she told KQED. \u201cAnd so we can\u2019t be quiet, we can\u2019t be getting comfortable. We\u2019ve got to do everything that we can, expect the worst and hope for the best.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"Several](\"https:\/\/cdn.kqed.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/10\/AP25278748416734-scaled-e1761091431392.jpg\")