San Jose Japantown rally opposes ICE detention center in Gilroy, Santa Clara County

On July 29 2026, a coalition of Japanese‑American residents, elected officials and faith leaders gathered in San Jose’s historic Japantown to protest a planned Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility at 7240 Holsclaw Road outside Gilroy, Santa Clara County. Speakers included Rev. John Oda of Wesley United Methodist Church, Susan Hayase – co‑founder of the San Jose Nikkei Resisters – and former Gilroy councilmember Rebeca Armendariz. They warned that the federal detention project echoes the World‑War‑II internment of Japanese Americans.

The rally, held in front of the Issei Memorial Building, was part of a broader legal and political effort by state and local leaders, including California Attorney General Rob Bonta, to halt construction of the facility, which is seen as a continuation of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies. Protesters called for continued resistance and cited historic Japanese‑American civil‑rights struggles.