ONE SAN JOSE OFFICIAL wants to unmask federal immigration officers when they conduct operations in the city.

District 5 Councilmember Peter Ortiz is proposing a policy that would require U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to wear identification. The policy notes masked ICE agents and people impersonating them pose threats to public safety. Ortiz said he wants to partner with local nonprofit Amigos de Guadalupe to get City Council to pass the policy.

“We have to wait until mid-August (to introduce it),” Ortiz told San José Spotlight. “The (City Council) is not in session until that time.”

Amigos de Guadalupe representatives did not respond to requests for comment.

ICE has conducted large-scale operations in cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and Dallas since President Donald Trump took office earlier this year. An Amigos de Guadalupe representative previously told San José Spotlight this hasn’t been the case in Santa Clara County, where ICE activity has been targeted toward specific individuals.

Masked federal agents in unmarked vehicles have stoked fear in the immigrant community, with fewer people frequenting grocery stores and businesses, emptier streets in East San Jose and sparse showings for community events. Some undocumented residents are choosing to self-deport.

The operations have also given rise to ICE impersonators, including reported incidents at a Philadelphia university, the arrest of an impersonator in North Carolina for sexually assaulting a woman and an impersonator in Florida conducting a traffic stop and asking people for their documents, among others.

“… SJPD does not participate in or assist with immigration enforcement. Our focus remains on protecting public safety and ensuring that all members of our community, regardless of immigration status, feel safe interacting with our officers.” San Jose Police Department spokesperson

Part of Ortiz’s proposed policy appears to be preemptive. Representatives with the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office and San Jose Police Department said they don’t have any confirmed reports or calls related to ICE impersonators.

“As a general practice, when outside law enforcement agencies, including ICE, plan enforcement or surveillance operations within the city of San Jose, they typically notify our communications center in advance,” an SJPD spokesperson told San José Spotlight. “It’s important to note that SJPD does not have the legal authority to prevent federal agencies from operating in the city. Consistent with longstanding department policy, SJPD does not participate in or assist with immigration enforcement. Our focus remains on protecting public safety and ensuring that all members of our community, regardless of immigration status, feel safe interacting with our officers.”

Last month, the City Council unanimously approved $1 million to bolster immigrant defense organizations like Amigos de Guadalupe and the Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network. The nonprofits oversee the Rapid Response Network, a coalition of community-run organizations that protect immigrants and their families from deportation raids in Santa Clara County.

Contact Joyce Chu at joyce@sanjosespotlight.com or @joyce_speaks on X. 

This story originally appeared in San Jose Spotlight.