Across Santa Clara County, frontline social workers are quietly reshuffling their days and nights as immigrant families retreat from public life, worried that any outing could end with a knock from federal immigration agents. What started as a few informal late-night check-ins in cars and living rooms has turned into an employee-run safety net that funnels money, groceries and rides to families who are too scared to show up at county offices.
As reported by San José Spotlight, county social services employees have dubbed the volunteer network “El Comité.” Members say they now routinely schedule visits at odd hours, arrange discreet food drop-offs and reroute meetings so clients are less likely to cross paths with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Workers and nonprofit allies describe the effort as a temporary workaround while they push county leaders to adopt formal policies and dedicated funding.
"I do go extra lengths just to make sure they feel supported," Ruby Lopez-Flores told San José Spotlight. She and colleagues, including Cecilia De Haro and Lorena Briones, have described meeting students in parked cars, conducting intakes by phone, and arranging weekend check-ins so families can keep Medi-Cal and other critical benefits without setting foot in a public lobby.
Latino residents make up about a quarter of Santa Clara County, more than 477,000 people, and local public-health data estimate roughly 134,000 undocumented residents living in the county, according to Santa Clara County Public Health. Advocates say those numbers help explain why more families are cancelling appointments and avoiding grocery stores, parks, churches and community events that once felt routine.
The county’s response is constrained by money. Officials are projecting about a $470 million shortfall in the upcoming fiscal year, and a mid-year budget fix already wiped out hundreds of positions and tightened discretionary spending. In a press release from the County of Santa Clara, leaders blamed federal funding shifts for forcing cuts that leave frontline teams with fewer tools to build lasting protections.
National Rulings and Raids Are Feeding the Fear
On Sept. 8, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an order that put on hold a lower-court restriction on so-called “roving patrols” in the Los Angeles region, a move critics say expanded federal leeway to initiate stops based partly on appearance and geography, according to the U.S. Supreme Court. Combined with highly publicized enforcement in other cities, including a federal deployment in Minneapolis that drew investigations after deadly encounters, the ruling has only sharpened nerves among local families, advocates and reporters say.
How Workers Are Responding
On the ground, social workers say they have pooled donations to cover the cost of IDs and rides, coordinated grocery deliveries and shifted many intakes to phone calls or home visits so clients can keep their benefits without entering county buildings. Community groups such as the Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network (SIREN) have been pushing for more funding and clear written protocols to protect both families and staff. SIREN highlights community outreach and legal services as core programs on its own site.
Legal Implications
Legal analysts note that the Supreme Court’s stay is only a temporary step while appeals continue and trial courts hear the underlying challenges, leaving local protections in flux as the litigation grinds on. Civil-rights advocates and commentators warn that shifting rules around roving patrols make it hard for counties to plan day-to-day operations while still complying with federal law and trying to shield vulnerable residents, according to ongoing coverage and legal analysis.
A county representative was not immediately available to discuss El Comité or any updated guidance for staff. For now, social workers and immigrant-rights organizers say they will keep improvising rides, late-night meetups and quiet food drop-offs to prevent families from losing access to food, health care and school services while they wait for the county to put a formal system in place.
