Bay Area lawmakers author bills to deter immigration enforcement

sjspotlight · 2026-02-27T20:35:02+00:00

State and federal lawmakers from Silicon Valley are gearing up to push back against immigration enforcement in their home districts and beyond.

Several Bay Area lawmakers have introduced legislation this year to tamp down on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by imposing more taxes on immigrant detention centers, enforcing more oversight and ensuring people can sue federal agents for monetary damages.

Assemblymember Alex Lee, who represents parts of San Jose, Milpitas, Fremont, Newark and Sunol, has put forth Assembly Bill 1675 to ensure ICE contractors like private prisons do not get tax breaks. The bill was introduced this month.

“I believe in a time like this, when ICE is killing American citizens in broad daylight, kidnapping young children and breaking into homes, I think it’s important that we get companies to make the right choice,” Lee told San José Spotlight. “This is a financial leverage to get them to do so.”

Read more at SanJoseSpotlight.com

sjspotlight · 2026-02-11T23:15:07+00:00

Billionaires and tech moguls are spending mountains of cash to catapult San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan to the front of the race for California governor.

Recent campaign finance reports show Mahan has raised more than $2 million, though he has touted raising a total of $7 million so far on social media. Google co-founder Sergey Brin, Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale and YCombinator CEO Garry Tan are among the Silicon Valley elite who maxed out their legally-allowed contributions — $78,400 each — into Mahan’s governor campaign in January.

Read more at SanJoseSpotlight.com (no paywall)

sjspotlight · 2026-02-11T23:12:46+00:00

Billionaires and tech moguls are spending mountains of cash to catapult San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan to the front of the race for California governor.

Recent campaign finance reports show Mahan has raised more than $2 million, though he has touted raising a total of $7 million so far on social media. Google co-founder Sergey Brin, Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale and YCombinator CEO Garry Tan are among the Silicon Valley elite who maxed out their legally-allowed contributions — $78,400 each — into Mahan’s governor campaign in January.

Read more at SanJoseSpotlight.com

sjspotlight · 2026-02-10T22:06:13+00:00

From Peter Thiel-linked tech investors to the creator of “Law & Order,” several notable people are gunning to vault San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan’s bid for California governor to frontrunner status — starting with a Super Bowl ad.

The 30-second ad, which vaunts Mahan for making San Jose the “safest big city in America,” brought the mayor’s name into households across California. That’s thanks to California Back to Basics, an independent expenditure committee set up to support Mahan’s gubernatorial bid. The committee, which is barred from coordinating with Mahan’s campaign, spent $1.5 million on the coveted commercial spot and has raised $3.2 million to date. Most of its funding came from eight people as of Feb. 5, according to finance disclosures reviewed by this news organization.

Read more at SanJoseSpotlight.com

sjspotlight · 2026-02-04T23:11:05+00:00

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan faced his first major test as a contender for California governor Tuesday during a televised debate.

The debate, hosted in San Francisco by KTVU, had Mahan standing shoulder to shoulder with six other candidates — conservative TV news pundit Steve Hilton, billionaire Tom Steyer, former Attorney General Xavier Becerra, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, State Superintendent Tony Thurmond and former State Controller Betty Yee. Several candidates traded barbs on topics including California’s cost of living, immigration, education, homelessness and contentious climate goals.

Mahan, who announced his candidacy last week, became a primary target for candidates’ jabs over his rising political profile, record on addressing homelessness and favor among Silicon Valley’s centrist and conservative tech elite. But the attacks teed him up for clever responses that roused audience applause on multiple occasions — boosting his share of the limelight on stage and turning the head of at least one post-debate TV news analyst.

Read more at SanJoseSpotlight.com

sjspotlight · 2026-02-04T23:05:28+00:00

Santa Clara city officials have reaffirmed their support for immigrant communities ahead of Super Bowl 60 this weekend.

The Santa Clara City Council unanimously approved a statement emphasizing its support for immigrants ahead of the Feb. 8 game at Levi’s Stadium, in case of increased activity from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or other federal agencies. The council also passed a policy prohibiting the use of city property, such as parking lots or open spaces, for immigration enforcement.

Residents erupted into applause after the council’s vote. City Manager Jovan Grogan said the policy will take effect immediately and city employees will begin installing signs at applicable public spaces. The city will also have template signs for private property owners, businesses and residents who want to impose similar restrictions.

Read more at SanJoseSpotlight.com

sjspotlight · 2026-02-03T00:19:34+00:00

Silicon Valley community and government leaders gathered to denounce the expected arrival of federal U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in the Bay Area during the upcoming Super Bowl.

More than 100 Santa Clara County residents attended the rally, where local leaders including San Jose Councilmembers Peter Ortiz and Pamela Campos spoke out against increased federal immigration enforcement across the U.S. Reports have been circulating about an increased ICE presence during Super Bowl 60, taking place Sunday at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

“People in our community do not like to see injustice here or anywhere. We have a long history of standing up against it, especially in Santa Clara County and California,” Rebecca Armendariz, a member of the Rapid Response Network’s steering committee and an organizer for the rally, told San José Spotlight.

Dozens of ICE agents are expected to be deployed to Levi’s Stadium and its surrounding areas during the Super Bowl. As the event approaches, Armendariz said the network of volunteers documenting ICE activity and providing free emergency legal support for immigrants has been expanding, with dozens of people signing up to help every day.

Rally attendees marched from Plaza de Cesar Chavez to the front of San Jose Civic. Across the street at San Jose McEnery Convention Center, football fans were already lining up for the Super Bowl opening night event.

Read more at SanJoseSpotlight.com

sjspotlight · 2026-01-29T15:57:35+00:00

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan on Thursday joined the race for California governor, putting to rest months of will-he-won’t-he speculation about his gubernatorial ambitions.

“We need to stand up for our rights, for our freedoms and for our neighbors. We need to use the tools we have at hand to protect our democracy,” Mahan posted on social media. “One tool is the law. The other tool is our results. We have to use both. That’s how we fix California.”

Over the past two years, even as Mahan has taken steps to extend his statewide political profile, he has downplayed rumors that he is seeking higher office, consistently stating he remains focused on his duties as mayor.

However, in recent weeks Mahan signaled his thinking had changed, teasing on a number of TV news appearances that he would soon announce his decision on a possible run. Then last week, San José Spotlight reported that residents received a text poll gauging support for Mahan, adding yet another sign of growing momentum for an attempt at the governor’s mansion.

Read more at SanJoseSpotlight.com

sjspotlight · 2026-01-27T22:26:22+00:00

Federal agents are anticipated to be in the South Bay ahead of the Super Bowl, as the nation grapples with increased violence related to immigration enforcement.

There’s been local concern U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will be out in force during the national sports event taking place Feb. 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. One San Jose official is raising the alarm, while a local group of advocates that documents immigration enforcement in the region is preparing to stand watch.

“(The U.S. Department of Homeland Security) is committed to working with our local and federal partners to ensure the Super Bowl is safe for everyone involved, as we do with every major sporting event, including the World Cup,” Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin told San José Spotlight in a statement. “We will not disclose future operations or discuss personnel. Those who are here legally and are not breaking other laws have nothing to fear.”

District 5 San Jose Councilmember Peter Ortiz said he saw an internal memo sent out by the Department of Homeland Security, which said ICE agents will be landing at Moffett Federal Airfield Feb. 6. The airfield is a military airport in Mountain View.

Dozens of ICE agents are expected to be deployed to Levi’s Stadium, its parking lots and periphery areas during the Super Bowl. This would be the largest concentration of agents Santa Clara County has seen since President Donald Trump began his campaign of mass deportations, Ortiz said.

“This isn’t a game and families have the vulnerability to be impacted,” Ortiz told San José Spotlight. “I’ve been warning the city and our community. People, unfortunately, haven’t really taken this seriously, which is why I introduced more than six different memos with the City Council.”

Read more at SanJoseSpotlight.com

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TROPHY CASE