The line of people waiting their turn for free boxes of food from Santa Maria Urban Ministry on the edge of downtown San Jose used to snake out the parking lot and down a full block. Most were low-income immigrants with children trying to get by in high-priced Silicon Valley.

But ever since the Trump Administration cracked down on people living in the country illegally early this year and sent masked federal agents to make sweeping arrests in immigrant-heavy communities, the families are too fearful to gather in the open.

The line is gone.

Operations Director Alfonso Mendez tried to reassure them that if U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement showed up, he would rush them into the building and lock the doors. Still, they weren’t convinced.

“I’m very sad because everybody has the righ

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