SANTA CLARA COUNTY IMMIGRATION ADVOCATES are calling for more local protections amid the fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen in Minneapolis by a federal agent.
Volunteers with the county Rapid Response Network on Thursday spoke about violence they have experienced locally with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. The network documents ICE activity, puts out alerts to the community and sends volunteers to accompany people to immigration hearings. While Santa Clara County has yet to witness the level of violence seen in Minnesota, they are pushing for the state to increase funding for immigration legal services by $50 million.
“We have seen ICE and Border Patrol terrorize our communities, targeting responders and tearing families apart,” Rebeca Armendariz, a founding member of the Rapid Response Network, said at a Thursday news conference. “While we stand in solidarity with Minnesota today, we also know that California will remain a target … we call on the state of California to expand its commitment to this fight.”
Minneapolis killing sparks local alarm
The death of Minneapolis resident Renee Good, 37, has sent shockwaves across the nation. An ICE agent fatally shot Good in her vehicle on Wednesday. According to Associated Press, Good had just dropped off her son at school and was heading home when she encountered federal agents.
Videos show ICE agents approached Good’s vehicle and tried to open her door. Good backed up and started to drive away when an agent opened fire. President Donald Trump’s administration has claimed the agent fired in self defense, while Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey denounced that explanation as “garbage.”
Minnesota officials have said Good previously acted as a legal observer and documented ICE activity and protests.
Yesenia Campos, a Santa Clara County resident, said she has experienced unjustified violence and was detained while documenting ICE officers loading people into a van.
“I was doing exactly what Minneapolis protesters were doing — observing, documenting and exercising my rights — and an ICE agent decided to charge at me with force when I was complying and not a threat to him at all,” Campos said at the Thursday news conference.
Campos said she was detained and handcuffed for about 45 minutes on Oct. 30, but did not face any charges.
“I was doing exactly what Minneapolis protesters were doing — observing, documenting and exercising my rights — and an ICE agent decided to charge at me with force when I was complying and not a threat to him at all.”
Yesenia Campos, a Santa Clara County resident
Stephanie Jayne, a volunteer with the Rapid Response Network since 2017, said ICE agents are becoming more violent and reckless. The network has documented multiple instances where ICE enforcement actions have left people hospitalized. She said agents have knelt on top of and beat people who were already handcuffed, while others have been denied medication during detention.
Jayne said the network has also documented ICE agents photographing responders, and verbally and physically threatening them. She said agents took photos of her license plate when they pulled her over and said she was interfering with an operation while driving down an East San Jose street.
“This intimidation is intentional. It is meant to make us afraid to show up, but we continue to show up anyway,” Jayne said. “When there are witnesses, it becomes harder for violence to hide.”
South Bay boosts immigrant safeguards
San Jose and Santa Clara County have passed policies bolstering legal services and protections for immigrants.
Last year, San Jose passed a policy prohibiting law enforcement from masking in the city and invested $1 million to support immigrant defense organizations such as Amigos de Guadalupe. The county has also invested $13 million since December 2024 into deportation legal defense.
The county also passed a policy to post signs warding agents away from vacant lots, garages and other county-owned spaces federal authorities might use for immigration enforcement. San Jose is developing a similar plan to prohibit any federal immigration activity on city-owned parking lots, garages and spaces, which will be heard by the City Council this coming Tuesday.
“The policy helps ensure that public property is used in ways that uphold trust, safety and the intended purpose of serving the San Jose community,” Carolina Camarena, spokesperson for the city manager’s office, told San José Spotlight.
Contact Joyce Chu at joyce@sanjosespotlight.com or @joyce_speaks on X.
This story originally appeared in San Jose Spotlight.