On Monday, a large crowd gathered outside San Jose City Hall to protest immigration enforcement efforts taking place throughout California.

The demonstration was peaceful, with families showing their solidarity with immigrant communities and calling for change.

Inside City Hall, during a budget hearing, residents urged the mayor and city council to allocate $1.5 million toward legal aid for undocumented immigrants.

“This issue is very personal for us — we’re an immigrant family,” said San Jose resident Vanessa Garcia-Morales, who attended the rally with her children. She emphasized that she was there to protect their future.

“With what’s happening right now, his life could be at risk just based on his appearance,” Garcia-Morales said. “We want to make it clear that this is unacceptable and something must be done.”

City Councilmembers Pamela Campos and Peter Ortiz also attended the rally. “The Trump administration’s policies don’t represent our values as a country,” Campos stated.

Meanwhile, community advocates continued pushing for the $1.5 million budget request to fund more attorneys and outreach workers. “We need this investment to provide legal support and expand our outreach,” said Maritza Maldonado of Amigos de Guadalupe.

Mayor Matt Mahan called for continued peaceful demonstrations, warning that any violence could endanger the city’s efforts to protect residents.

“It could trigger federal intervention, which I worry is something they’re actively seeking a reason for,” he cautioned.