The Speaker of the Assembly Robert Rivas restated his opposition to a proposed ICE facility in Gilroy, after a federal judge ruled on Friday, Sept. 11 that the development did not meet environmental requirements.
“Our community is not a dumping ground for Trump’s ICE chaos. Not here. Not ever,” Rivas said in a statement Wednesday. “I stand united with our neighbors against this unlawful detention center, because Trump’s failed immigration agenda has no place in California. We will not stop fighting.”
The preliminary injunction will suspend the construction while a lawsuit filed by the County of Santa Clara and the State of California proceeds. In recent months, besides Rivas, local leaders spearheaded by the Monterey County Board of Supervisors have voiced their opposition to the project.
Federal Judge Eumi K. Lee found ICE did not proceed according the national environmental policy act, saying there was no proof that the federal government made an analysis before construction.
As such, the construction at the proposed facility, which would hold at least 120 detainees over the course of a normal day, according to court documents, is postponed while the case moves forward.
"The Holsclaw Property was never previously used to hold immigrant detainees," Lee noted in the ruling. "Instead, the site was used to conduct agricultural research."
That reseach, by Syngenta Seeds and its affiliates, included known hazardous waste produced onsite, according to Lee, including multiple violations such as unpermitted discharge of hazardous waste. Santa Clara County officials have not been allowed to reinspect the site for its new proposed use as a detention center.
"Because plaintiffs have identified specific irreparable environmental harms, and sefendants have not shown how a delay of construction would materially impede immigration enforcement or cause substantial economic hardship, the balance of the equities and the public interest also favor an injunction," Lee found.
"Monterey County will not stand by silently when federal actions threaten the safety, stability, and trust of our families," Supervisor Wendy Root Askew said in a statement in late July. "Our Board voted with overwhelming conviction to lead this effort because protecting our immigrant neighbors is not just a Santa Clara County issue; it is a regional priority. By uniting 26 cities and counties, we are sending an undeniable message that local autonomy and community trust cannot be sidelined by federal enforcement mandates."
Spearheaded by the Monterey County Board of Supervisors, a coalition of 26 cities and counties from Northern and Central California formed to oppose the ICE center, contending that the facility would unsettle key local operations, undercut public health and law enforcement collaboration and overstep on local zoning laws and governance, according to a court document filed on July 27.
Some of the local cities include Salinas, Gonzales, King City, Soledad and Hollister. The participating jurisdictions include the counties of Santa Cruz and San Benito.
Monterey County claims that immigrants are central to pivotal industries like agriculture—a keystone for these regions, where the county leads the nation in generating lettuce, celery, broccoli, spinach, cauliflower and strawberries.
“If farmworkers are afraid to go to work or are deported en masse, disruptions to the national supply of produce will ensue, leading to increased prices and potential shortages,” according to the court filing.