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San Jose council refers proposal to analyze divestment from ICE‑linked firms to Rules committee
Summary
Councilmember Maya Ortiz asked staff to research whether city investments should exclude companies tied to ICE; council referred her memo and staff analysis to the Rules committee for workload review and potential future action.
San Jose City Council members on Sept. 9 voted to refer a Councilmember Maya Ortiz memo asking staff to study divesting city investments from companies linked to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to the Rules and Open Government Committee for a workload analysis.
Ortiz told the council the proposal was driven by a values argument: she said the city’s investment choices should not support firms that profit from ICE enforcement and detention because federal enforcement actions harm immigrant families and community trust. Ortiz moved to approve her memo along with staff’s memo, and after discussion a substitute motion to refer the item to Rules for a staff workload analysis carried unanimously.
Councilmembers discussed consolidating this work with earlier investment analyses and said staff could combine workstreams where appropriate. City staff told the council they need time to review a past banking relationship and that a referral to Rules would allow staff to scope the analysis and timing before any policy decision.
The Rules committee will determine what resources are required, whether a full investment policy change is feasible, and the timeline for returning recommendations to council. The original motion and referral leave the substantive decision — whether to adopt an exclusion policy — for a later date following staff analysis.
The referral does not remove any existing investments or change investment policy today; it only directs staff to scope and schedule analysis for council consideration.
