Gilroy has put a temporary stop to any new detention facilities inside its city limits. On Monday night, the City Council voted unanimously for a 45-day moratorium covering detention centers on both public and private land, San José Spotlight reported. The council can extend the ban for up to two years in total, giving city staff time to study the issue and recommend a permanent change to Gilroy's zoning rules.
Why now
The vote is aimed squarely at the federal government's plans for the area. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement wants to build a holding facility on Holsclaw Road, just east of Gilroy and outside the city's borders. Santa Clara County and the state of California sued in June to stop it. In September, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction halting construction while the case continues. NBC Bay Area reported at the time that the judge found ICE had not adequately studied possible pollution at the site, and that court records showed the 24.5-acre property could hold as many as 120 people a day.
Because that site sits outside city limits, Gilroy's new ban doesn't directly apply to it. Mayor Greg Bozzo told San José Spotlight that the legal fight's outcome is uncertain, and that residents kept asking whether a similar facility could be proposed inside the city. He described the moratorium as a proactive step to protect the community. San Jose approved a similar moratorium last month.
What changed at the meeting
The original draft would have exempted detention facilities run by other law enforcement agencies. Councilmember Terence Fugazzi proposed removing that exemption, and the council agreed, so the ban now covers all new detention facilities.
The council did not go further and bar immigration agents from using city-owned property as a staging area or processing site. Councilmembers said such a rule would mostly be symbolic. Police Chief Brandon Sanchez said that if officers learn a call involves immigration enforcement, the department will send someone to assess what's happening and ask federal agents to cooperate.
Supporters and critics
Dozens of residents came to City Hall, and most public speakers urged the council to pass the ban. Diane Ortiz, founder and CEO of the nonprofit Youth Alliance, said parents, young people and educators remain worried about what a heavy federal immigration presence would mean for the community.
Not everyone agreed. Former Councilmember Cat Tucker wrote to the council that the staff report's warning of an imminent ICE arrival inside city limits was misleading and unsupported by evidence, and she objected to treating the issue as an emergency.
City staff will now use the 45-day window to draft longer-term zoning options for the council to consider.