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As the federal government ramps up immigration enforcement, Santa Clara County has announced that it has earmarked more than $8 million in immigration support services as part of next year’s fiscal budget.
The funding will go towards immigration legal services, outreach and rapid response activities, making it the largest investment for these kinds of services in the county’s history, according to a June 20 press release.
“The county’s enhanced funding allocation comes at a time of increased federal immigration enforcement activity happening throughout California and across the country that has resulted in the deportation and detention of immigrants, lawful permanent residents (LPRs), and U.S. citizens,” the release said.
In recent weeks, there has been an increase in reports of ICE activities occurring outside of immigration court hearings, schools, job sites and big-box retail stores, according to the release. This has led to growing fear and uncertainty locally, resulting in a spike in calls to the Rapid Response Network, a local service provider that offers legal support and other assistance for immigrants and their families.
Since January, the Rapid Response Network hotline has received 2,590 calls, with nearly one-third of those calls in June alone, signaling a major increase in concerns about immigration enforcement, the release said. The most common calls included reports of suspected ICE activities, requests for immediate legal help, residents looking for guidance before ICE check-ins and court hearings, and requests for resources like “Know your Rights” materials.
“These efforts reflect the growing demand for rapid, reliable, and trusted support in a time of heightened fear,” the press release said.
The county’s baseline budget for immigration and legal support services next fiscal year is $6.7 million, in addition to $1.4 million in emergency funding, which brings the total to $8.1 million. As part of the package, the county has increased its allocation to the Rapid Response Network to nearly $1 million, according to the release.
“Here in Santa Clara County, our immigrant communities contribute significantly to the economic and cultural vitality of our region,” County Executive Director James Williams said in the press release. “We will continue to do everything we can to ensure that our immigrant residents and families have access to critical and vital services, especially those services that people need at a time when they are most vulnerable.”
Immigration enforcement reports
The Rapid Response Network hotline operates 24/7 and can be called at 408-290-1144. By using it, community members can receive help and accurate information in real time as well as report ICE activities.
The Rapid Response Network also provides updates on its Instagram account. The account has been used to dispel misinformation circulating on social media about immigration enforcement activities. In Mountain View, there have been false reports of ICE agents at Walmart at 600 Showers Drive and at El Monte Shopping Center, according to a June 12 Rapid Response Network post.
A Nextdoor post also claimed there was ICE activity at an apartment complex on Tyrella Avenue in Mountain View on June 18. The Mountain View Police Department told the Voice that the photograph of a law enforcement officer in the post was not an ICE agent, but an employee of the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office.
However, there have been confirmed reports of immigration enforcement activities in Mountain View earlier this year. ICE agents reportedly targeted a residential complex on Calderon Avenue on Jan. 26. A Sunnyvale man also was arrested by ICE officials outside his home on Feb. 21 and taken to El Camino Hospital in Mountain View before being transferred to an ICE detention facility.
