Fighting ICE and Amazon in Gilroy
Residents south of San Jose, California, in the city of Gilroy, are actively opposing two controversial projects: a proposed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility and an Amazon data center. These struggles, led by the ICE Out of Gilroy coalition, are united under a common goal: resisting detention and Big Tech surveillance.
The coalition comprises Community Agency for Resources, Advocacy, and Services (CARAS), Services, Immigrant Rights & Education Network (SIREN), and Bay Resistance, all dedicated to racial and economic justice. They highlight the interconnection between these projects and their impact on Gilroy's community and land.
Local Economy and Land Use
Gilroy's economy heavily relies on immigrant labor, and both projects pose threats. The ICE facility would displace workers and their families, while Amazon's plan would convert agricultural land for cloud infrastructure. The coalition raises a critical question: who controls Gilroy's land, labor, and infrastructure?
Community Resistance
On August 23, 2026, local residents joined the "Dump Big Tech" march, protesting against all three: the ICE facility on Holsclaw Road, Amazon's data center on Camino Arroyo, and the 54 automated license plate readers (ALPRs) owned by Flock throughout the city. Mateo, an organizer with CARAS, expressed the coalition's stance:
"The data centers take our resources; the detention center takes our people."
Kim Woo, a SIREN community organizer, drew attention to the surveillance aspect:
"Flock cameras lead us to the data center, and then to detention facilities."
Kim worries about data sharing across agencies, particularly how out-of-state police access Flock data for ICE-related inquiries, circumventing sanctuary policies.
Corporate Contracts and Technology
A WIRED investigation revealed that ICE and Customs and Border Protection have spent over $515 million since 2023 on services from tech giants, including Palantir, Microsoft, Amazon, and Google. Palantir's software and cloud services from Amazon Web Services (AWS) are integral to ICE's operations. Government contracts, totaling over $619 million, further solidify these companies' role in immigration enforcement.
Private Landlord and Federal Facility
The proposed ICE facility in Gilroy would benefit a private landlord, Elmwood Capital Group, through a 20-year lease and potential construction reimbursements. The Trump administration awarded Elmwood a lease in 2025, with potential federal payments reaching $35.2 million over 20 years. This arrangement allows private property to be prepared for detention and then leased to the government for profit.
On May 14, Gilroy residents and immigrant rights advocates united once more to demonstrate their opposition to these projects.