The state of California has once again declared legal war on the White House's immigration policies. In a forceful legal action, state Attorney General Rob Bonta, together with Santa Clara County authorities, filed a formal lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with the aim of immediately and permanently blocking the construction of a new Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in the north of the state.

The complaint, filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, seeks to stop an 18,700-square-foot project located in an unincorporated rural area near the city of Gilroy. The 24.5-acre parcel, known as the Holsclaw property, was secretly leased to the federal government in early 2025 by a Beverly Hills-based real estate developer.

According to official plans, the complex would operate under ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) division, with the capacity to house about 150 detainees in temporary cells before being transferred to larger immigration jails.

Federal opacity and environmental risks in the spotlight

The core of the lawsuit argues that President Donald Trump's administration has attempted to impose this work in a “clandestine” manner, deliberately ignoring administrative procedures and environmental regulations. Local authorities charged that the federal government violated the National Environmental Policy Act by failing to conduct any assessment or ecological impact statement before signing the lease.

“The administration is trying to force a new facility on a community that doesn't want it, bypassing the law and hiding its plans,” prosecutor Rob Bonta stated categorically.

Adding to concerns about official secrecy are serious public health factors. According to the legal document, the selected land has a history of hazardous material spills and lacks the necessary infrastructure for wastewater management. Additionally, the land has been protected since the 1960s under California's Williamson Act, which restricts its use exclusively to agricultural activity.

The plaintiffs warn that operating a detention center in this location would destroy an ecosystem where endangered species live, also exposing the detainees themselves, including minors, to unacceptable sanitary conditions.

Resistance in the sanctuary state against mass deportation

The legal battle in Santa Clara arises at a time of maximum tension, coinciding with the recent presidential signing of a law that allocates $70 billion to finance ICE operations and infrastructure expansion.

For California's political leadership, these measures are part of an aggressive federal campaign aimed at mass deportations, a plan that DHS itself has controversially described as an “Amazon Prime-style system, but with human beings.”

“Under this administration, we have seen how ICE administrative offices have been transformed into mini detention centers without being equipped for prolonged detentions,” Bonta stated. For his part, Tony LoPresti, legal advisor of Santa Clara, reiterated that the county—a historical benchmark in immigrant protection policies—will not tolerate abuses of power or abuses against its communities.

With this new resource, Santa Clara County maintains 11 active lawsuits against the policies of the current Trump administration.

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