Santa Clara County and the State of California have filed a federal lawsuit seeking to halt construction of the ICE facility being built on agricultural land just minutes from the Gilroy Costco. The lawsuit alleges the federal government violated multiple federal and state laws by bypassing required environmental review and local consultation.
Monterey County has prepared an amicus (friend-of-the-court) brief supporting the lawsuit. A number of cities and counties have signed onto that brief, while others have adopted resolutions formally opposing the project.
On June 24, the Morgan Hill City Council held a special meeting that included consideration of whether to join the Monterey County amicus brief. During public comment, more than 20 speakers urged the council to support the brief, while only one speaker opposed it.
The council then met in closed session. When it returned, the only announcement was that it had taken “no reportable action from the closed session,” and the meeting was adjourned.
The public was not told whether a vote occurred, how individual council members voted if a vote was taken, or why the council chose not to sign onto the amicus brief.
That lack of transparency is disappointing. Residents deserve to know how their elected representatives handled an issue of significant public interest and why.
In a February 2025 letter to the editor, Mayor Mark Turner wrote: “Conversation and debate around the immigration topic—or any topic for that matter—should be robust and can be healthy when we adhere to true tolerance for differing opinions, respect for varying perspectives, and an attempt to first understand and then be understood.”
I agree. The best way to honor those words is with a robust public discussion of why the council took no action on the amicus brief. If the council believes its decision was the right one, it should explain that decision openly so the public can understand its reasoning.
Bruce Cooley
Morgan Hill
