By admin 
California and Santa Clara County officials filed a lawsuit against the federal administration Wednesday to block what state and local officials believe will be the state’s latest immigration detention facility.
Read more Free, family-friendly movie night in South Natomas in June and July. What to know
The lawsuit centers on the construction of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in an unincorporated area outside Gilroy, a city about 40 minutes south of San Jose. Last month, the San Jose Spotlight obtained public records that showed the facility would include detention areas, processing areas, visitation rooms and spaces for mothers with infants.
State officials, Bay Area leaders and community organizers have since come out in strong opposition to the project. , Attorney General Bonta and Santa Clara County Counsel Tony LoPresti asked the court to permanently forbid the development.
They claimed that construction of the project would violate multiple environmental and immigration laws including that property is zoned exclusively for agricultural use and has a history of hazardous materials. There could also be negative effects to sewer infrastructure, drinking water and local roads, LoPresti said.
Construction is already underway with workers spotted on-site, according to The San Jose Spotlight.
“This is the wrong place and the wrong process for this facility,” said LoPresti at a Wednesday afternoon news conference.
ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The agency previously denied plans for a facility at the location and described the project as an ICE office.
At the news conference, officials also raised concerns that the federal government did not consult with state and local governments as mandated by the Intergovernmental Cooperation Act of 1968.
Read more Juvenile charged in shooting of 18-year-old after dispute, Elk Grove police say
Research has shown that
“The Trump administration is ignoring the law and the wishes of the people of this state,” Bonta said.
If opened, the Santa Clara County ICE project would be the ninth detention center in California and the third facility opened under Trump’s second term. The administration received an influx of money last year to expand the nation’s detention system and increase the ranks of federal immigration officers.
On Wednesday, after approval from Congress, Trump signed a bill that will give nearly $70 billion more to immigration enforcement agencies.
All of California’s current facilities are operated by private companies and located in the southern half of the state.
Advocates and California lawmakers have consistently criticized the conditions inside centers and the federal administration’s push to increase detainee numbers. Nearly 70% of the people held at California’s detention centers have no criminal convictions, according to previous reporting from The Sacramento Bee.
Bonta said Wednesday marked the 71st lawsuit against Trump’s second administration. As of this week, the president has been in office 72 weeks.
“I wish that this was not the case, because that would mean that the president and his administration are following the law, are upholding the Constitution and treating people of this country with dignity and respect,” Bonta said.
Read more City Slickers resumes alcohol sales as Folsom bar nears ownership change