San Jose's Japantown Protest Against ICE Facility in Gilroy
On July 29, 2026, more than 100 people gathered at the Issei Memorial Building, across from Wesley Church, to oppose a possible ICE detention facility in Gilroy.
San Jose Nikkei Resisters and the Neighbors Not Enemies Coalition organized this press conference. The speakers, including our own Rev. John Oda, drew a direct line between the current proposal and the Japanese American community's own history of wartime incarceration, warning that expanding detention infrastructure risks repeating one of the darkest chapters of American history. “When you see our government begin to sort human beings into categories of who deserves rights and who doesn't; who gets due process and who doesn't - you cannot stay quiet,” said Rev. John at the press conference.
Opposition has been building since the project first surfaced in May, with local residents, elected officials, religious leaders and community organizations mobilizing against it. Critics argue the facility would sow fear and disruption in communities that have long welcomed immigrant families.
San Jose Nikkei Resisters and the Neighbors Not Enemies Coalition organized this press conference. The speakers, including our own Rev. John Oda, drew a direct line between the current proposal and the Japanese American community's own history of wartime incarceration, warning that expanding detention infrastructure risks repeating one of the darkest chapters of American history. “When you see our government begin to sort human beings into categories of who deserves rights and who doesn't; who gets due process and who doesn't - you cannot stay quiet,” said Rev. John at the press conference.
Opposition has been building since the project first surfaced in May, with local residents, elected officials, religious leaders and community organizations mobilizing against it. Critics argue the facility would sow fear and disruption in communities that have long welcomed immigrant families.
Posted in Newsletter 2026-08-20