ICE agents pepper-spray two county public defenders and activists filming an arrest outside San Jose’s courthouse
San Jose police say they are investigating. One attorney and one activist went to the hospital.
Immigration agents pepper-sprayed two county public defenders and at least two activists Friday as they recorded an arrest near the Hall of Justice in San Jose, according to the county Public Defender’s Office and witnesses quoted by The Mercury News.
Around 11:30 a.m., about five U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents chased a man on foot from West Hedding Street and tackled him west of the courthouse, the newspaper reported. Attorneys and members of Silicon Valley De-Bug, a San Jose community group, filmed the arrest. After the man was handcuffed, one agent sprayed into the crowd, Assistant Public Defender Miguel Rodriguez told the paper. One attorney and one activist were treated at hospitals.
San Jose police said officers are gathering evidence. “The circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation,” police said.
Chief Public Defender Damon Silver said the incident “raises serious concerns about the safety of attorneys, court staff, litigants, and community members who access our courts.”
ICE did not immediately respond to The Mercury News.
What it means
Residents with court dates use the Hall of Justice and the attached Main Jail, where the county’s Rapid Response Network reported ICE agents twice this week.
Source: Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office and San Jose Police Department statements, as reported by The Mercury News, Nov. 13, 2026.