Local
ICE agents reported at Santa Clara County Main Jail as advocates monitor releases
Immigration advocates said federal agents were in the lobby and outside San Jose’s Main Jail on Sunday, where they appeared to be waiting for people to be released. The Sheriff’s Office says it does not coordinate with ICE or provide release dates, but agents have visited the lobby for more than a year and taken 60 people into custody upon release.
Immigration and community advocates reported seeing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents inside the lobby and outside Santa Clara County’s Main Jail in San Jose on Sunday, apparently waiting for people to leave the facility.
Members of the Santa Clara County Rapid Response Network said they went to the jail on Hedding Street that morning. The network monitors and documents immigration enforcement activity, its members say, to make clear that agents’ actions are being observed.
The report came a day after advocates monitored ICE agents at Elmwood Correctional Facility in Milpitas for a third consecutive day.
Santa Clara County is designated a sanctuary county, but that status does not bar federal agents from waiting in public areas of a jail. The Sheriff’s Office says it does not coordinate with ICE or tell the agency when people are scheduled for release.
The department has tracked ICE visits to the jail lobby for more than a year and says agents have taken 60 people into custody when they were due to be released. ICE had not responded to a request for comment on Sunday’s reported activity.
The presence of federal agents near release points has drawn concern from local advocates, who say monitoring helps document enforcement activity and support people who may be affected.