A group of elected leaders and nonprofit organizations are calling on San Jose to strengthen its protection of the immigrant community as potential threats, including more aggressive federal immigration enforcement, loom from the incoming Trump administration.

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Councilmembers Peter Ortiz, Pamela Campos, David Cohen, and Domingo Candelas have asked the city to review its current efforts and explore the potential expansion of financial resources and services to protect immigrants.

“Every resident should be able to trust their local government and feel confident in their public safety officers,” said Candelas, whose parents immigrated to San Jose from Zacatecas, Mexico. “Fear and uncertainty should not cause our residents to be disengaged or disconnect when we face forces outside our city that seek to divide us and put people down (and) we must set up a united front to protect our community. That being said, the city of San Jose needs to reaffirm our commitment to providing a safe place for everyone to live (and) work, regardless of immigration status.”

Following Trump’s resounding victory in November, fears swelled again much like they did during his first term over the prospect of an agenda that included targeting immigrants and mass deportations.

While Trump’s inauguration will take place on Jan. 20, communities in California were caught off guard last week after U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents detained 78 immigrants in Kern County, prompting the impetus to make sure resources were in place.

“One of the post-election consequences that we have to deal with right now is that those in D.C are fighting to see who can prove that they hate immigrants more,” said Huy Tran, executive director of Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network (SIREN). “Right now in Congress, members are pressing forward a bill that will allow immigrant agents to detain and hold people who are really accused of crimes with no thought to the constitutional guarantees of due process. We have incoming department heads who are proudly sharing their plans to detain families and force them to separate from their children, forcing them to decide whether they abandon their U.S-born kids here.”

Ortiz, who has seen local tensions rise, including false claims of raids last week in his district in East San Jose, said San Jose has a long history of standing up for immigrants’ rights. This includes not cooperating with federal immigration enforcement and co-founding the Rapid Response Network, a community defense project that protects immigrants from deportation threats.

U.S. Census data showed that foreign-born residents make up a large portion of the local community with more than 40% of Santa Clara County residents — an estimated 773,000 community members — originating from outside the United States. The data also estimated that 50% of households include at least one immigrant and 54% of residents speak a language other than English at home.

“Vibrant communities have flourished, enriching our city in countless ways,” said Campos, the District 2 representative and also a daughter of immigrants. “Together, they have created a legacy of resilience, innovation and strength that continues to define who we are. But today, there are voices telling us that we’re wrong, saying that some of us don’t belong here.”

Cohen, who represents North San Jose in District 4, said San Jose has the sixth-highest percentage in the world for residents born in another country, which added to the city’s originality and culture.

He also noted that he wrote the first resolution in 2016 for a school in Northern California aimed at protecting students when he sat on the Berryessa Union School District Board after hearing fears of what might happen to their families.

“Never did I imagine that eight years later, we’d be standing here again having the same conversation and partake in a position where things are potentially even scarier for people,” Cohen said. “We are lucky to live in San Jose with its diversity. We are a city that values compassion and inclusivity and believes in the dignity of every person who calls San Jose home as one of the most diverse cities in the nation.”

Along with reviewing its existing practices and potential ways it could expand resources, the city’s rules committee has approved coordinating protection efforts with county officials and nonprofit partners and forwarding a resolution to the City Council that affirms San Jose’s commitment to preserving the safety and dignity of all residents, regardless of immigration status.

“If we do not adequately protect our immigrant community, our city will greatly suffer, and that’s why we need to act now to protect and strengthen the Rapid Response Network to prepare for any legal battles and reaffirm our commitment that no city employee, including our police department, will inquire about legal status or cooperate with immigrant enforcement,” Ortiz said. “Our immigrant heritage makes the city of San Jose great and it’s time for the city of San Jose to stand with its immigrant community.”

San Jose police officials have already reiterated that the department would not inquire about the immigration status of residents obeying the law.

“Our officers will not detain, question, or arrest individuals solely for the purpose of determining whether they are undocumented,” San Jose Police Chief Paul Joseph said in November following Trump’s victory. “This longstanding policy ensures that law-abiding individuals, including undocumented immigrants, can come forward to report crimes or seek help without fear of deportation or arrest.”

Santa Clara County, which has already dedicated $5 million in financial resources, lauded the city’s initiative but noted that the community would likely need additional support from governmental agencies.

“The work to support our community through the next federal administration is critical,” Deputy County Executive David Campos wrote in a letter to the city’s rules committee. “… Our county is diverse, and our role as government is to work towards a community where everyone can live, work, play, and thrive.”