Responding to community concerns about potential changes in federal deportation policies with a change in administration in Washington, D.C., the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors President Dave Cortese and Supervisor Cindy Chavez are promoting a plan to keep residents informed about their rights and provide legal representation to those who may need it.
At the Dec. 6 Board of Supervisors meeting, Cortese and Chavez will ask the Office of Immigrant Relations to partner with San Jose’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and nonprofits to develop a plan to ensure that immigrant individuals and families receive timely and accurate information about changes in federal immigration policies that could affect their ability to live and work in Santa Clara County.
The plan will expand legal services for undocumented residents who may need representation for hearings or in preparing documents.
“We will do everything we can to make sure our residents know their rights and have access to legal services to protect them from unjust deportation,” Cortese said. “The county has long strived to be a place where immigrants can live without fear of being uprooted from their homes. That doesn’t go away with a new administration in Washington.”
The Board of Supervisors meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Dec. 6 in the Board Chambers at the County Government Center, 70 West Hedding Street, San Jose.
“We must ensure that families are not broken apart without due process—and that means making sure that they have legal representation,” Chavez said.
