Santa Clara County officials announced Tuesday that they will join San Jose in advancing policies aimed at restricting federal immigration agents from operating in certain public areas and local government facilities.

At a press conference alongside immigrant rights advocates, local leaders emphasized that public infrastructure should not be used to facilitate federal immigration enforcement. “Our city facilities were built to serve our residents, not to be used as staging grounds for federal immigration operations,” said San Jose Councilmember Peter Ortiz.

Officials said they plan to introduce coordinated legislation across the South Bay to establish a “regional alignment” — effectively a buffer zone — that would prohibit U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from using county or city-owned properties without written authorization from a judge.

“Let us be clear: ICE is not welcome on our county facilities and controlled lands,” said Santa Clara County Supervisor Sylvia Arenas. “These lands serve critical needs for our community, and immigration enforcement is not one of them.”

Ortiz added that the new policies would ensure that city spaces, including parking lots, parks, and other public areas, cannot be commandeered for intelligence gathering, surveillance, or mass immigration raids.

The initiative was praised by immigrant advocacy groups, who said the move demonstrates strong local leadership in protecting vulnerable communities. “It’s now more important than ever for our local leadership to be bold, strong, and unapologetic in how they defend our community as we are in the midst of an attack,” said Lucila Ortiz of Working Partnerships USA.

In response to the proposed restrictions, ICE issued a statement warning that “anyone who actively obstructs law enforcement in the performance of their sworn duties or assaults law enforcement, including U.S. citizens, will of course face consequences, which includes arrest.”