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Santa Clara council agrees to fast-track immigrant-protection policies ahead of Super Bowl after hours of public pleas
Summary
After more than two hours of public testimony urging protection of immigrant residents before the Super Bowl, the Santa Clara City Council voted unanimously to place a council member's request to agendize comprehensive immigrant-protection policies on the Feb. 3 special meeting agenda.
More than two dozen residents and community organizers urged the Santa Clara City Council on Tuesday to immediately consider policies limiting local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement ahead of the Super Bowl, and the council voted unanimously to agendize the request for discussion and possible action at a Feb. 3 special meeting.
The public presentations centered on a set of measures community groups have drafted and asked the city to adopt on a fast timeline: prohibiting local law-enforcement cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement except when compelled by a valid judicial warrant; establishing "ICE-free" zones on city-owned property, including stadium places and adjacent public spaces; preventing disclosure of resident data (such as nonpublic city databases and license-plate-reader data) to federal agents; adopting safe-site protocols for clinics and other sensitive locations; and creating a rapid-response plan and multilingual "know-your-rights" outreach.
"Healthcare spaces must be places of trust, not fear," said Samantha, a member of Latinos Contra Cancer and the Patient Organizing Committee, urging protections to ensure immigrant residents do not avoid medical care. Kimberly Wroe, a community organizer with the Immigrant Rights and Education Network (CIWEN), told the council she had seen "repeated threats" and urged the city to "call for a special meeting and pass a strong policy" before Feb. 8.
Council Member Kevin Park, who brought forward the verbal O30 request, said the request seeks "comprehensive policies and protocols" for the council to consider, including a proposed discussion and potential action to occur on Feb. 3. Park said he expected public input to shape the final language and emphasized the urgency of the timing: "This is the only regular meeting between now and the Super Bowl," he said.
The City Attorney cautioned the public that an O30 request does not itself permit immediate binding action; staff must publish a special-meeting agenda at least 24 hours in advance, and any substantive action would likely be a referral to staff and a subsequent agenda item. City Manager Grogan said staff would endeavor to publish materials promptly and recommended clear direction from council so staff can assemble legal review and implementation options in the short window.
After council deliberations, Council Member Cox moved and Council Member Shahal seconded a motion to add Park's O30 request to the Feb. 3 special meeting, describing it as a discussion and potential action on safety protocols and the inclusion of community members in drafting proposals. The motion passed 6-0.
The Feb. 3 agenda, the council and staff said, will seek to balance the need for prompt, public action with legal and operational realities, including consultation with police leadership on operational impacts and staff time to prepare draft policies.
What happens next: staff will publish the Feb. 3 special-meeting agenda (per state notice rules), assemble draft policies and summaries of existing local and county protections, and return to council for formal consideration and any subsequent action.
