School boards from Morgan Hill to Palo Alto warned that increased ICE presence in the community could harm student and parent engagement.

Sep 3, 2026

Updated 1:02 pm PT

Alina Ta

Maimona Afzal Berta, a trustee for the Santa Clara County Board of Education, chants during a press conference to oppose the construction of an immigration detention facility near Gilroy, California, at the Santa Clara County Government Center on Sept. 2, 2026.
 (Alina Ta/KQED)

Educators from across the South Bay and Peninsula are opposing construction of a controversial new immigration detention facility in Gilroy, California, warning it will disrupt K-12 education in their districts.

On Wednesday afternoon at Santa Clara County’s offices in San José, representatives from 27 Bay Area school districts voiced their concerns about how increased Immigration and Customs Enforcement presence in the community could harm student and parent engagement.

Carmen García, the superintendent for Morgan Hill Unified School District, said her district is located only 10 miles away from the project site at 7240 Holsclaw Rd., and most of the students in her district live in mixed-status families.

A press conference attendee holds a flyer, reaffirming that school districts across the South Bay and Peninsula do not want ICE near campuses, at the Santa Clara County Government Center on Sept. 2, 2026. (Alina Ta/KQED)

Morgan Hill Unified School District Superintendent Carmen Garcia speaks at a press conference, opposing the construction of an immigration detention facility near her school district, at the Santa Clara County Government Center on Sept. 2, 2026.

Gilroy Unified School District Board President Tuyen Fiack speaks during a press conference, opposing the construction of an immigration detention facility, at the Santa Clara County Government Center on Sept. 2, 2026.

“When basic needs are not met, when students do not feel safe, they’re chronically stuck at the stress level, and there is an effective filter that literally covers their brain that prevents them from learning,” García said.

Earlier this summer, the federal government agreed to pause construction on the Gilroy facility until Sept. 9, one day after a federal judge is set to hear arguments from both the county and the Department of Homeland Security to decide if the project will continue.

The court will decide in October if construction can resume, according to court records.