Concord Takes Stand Against Federal Immigration Enforcement

CONCORD, CA — The Concord City Council was set to pass a resolution this evening seeking to reassure residents that city officials, including police, will not engage in federal immigration enforcement activities. City staff wrote that the resolution was prompted by "escalating national tensions" as well as the "ongoing political dialogue and national attention on immigration," which has stoked fear in the immigrant community.

The resolution states that Concord is committed to providing a safe and inclusive environment for all people regardless of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, disability or immigration status.

Specifically, it is city policy "not to inquire about immigration status or citizenship when providing city services or in the course of law enforcement activities," the resolution states.

Concord police don't detain or arrest suspects based solely on their immigration status, or disclose the immigration status of victims in domestic abuse or sexual assault cases unless required to do so by law.

Concord city officials will not allow federal immigration officials to access non-public areas of city property without a warrant, and they don't use the E-Verify system to determine the work eligibility of applicants for city employment, according to the resolution.

The goal is to put the Concord community at ease, but the city is not labeling it as a "sanctuary city" policy, according to Assistant City Manager Kathleen Trepa.

"This is not a resolution declaring ourselves a sanctuary city," Trepa said. "It's basically a statement of our values and our commitment to treat all our residents equally."

So-called "sanctuary cities" like San Francisco have become a political target under the administration of President Donald Trump, who has attempted via executive order to restrict access to federal grant funding for jurisdictions that do not cooperate with immigration agents.

"Sanctuary city" is not a term defined by federal law, but Trump's executive order in January said the Department of Homeland Security's secretary would have the authority to designate a sanctuary jurisdiction.

The order prompted lawsuits by San Francisco, Santa Clara County and the state of California claiming that the administration's move amounted to an unconstitutional "backdoor attempt" to coerce local governments into engaging in federal immigration enforcement activities using the budget, which is under the authority of the U.S. Congress.

In April, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking the order from going into effect and the next hearing in the case is Oct. 4.

Tuesday's Concord City Council meeting lists the resolution in question on the consent calendar, meaning it will be passed without debate unless a council member "pulls" the item for further discussion.

Pro-immigration advocates from "Raise the Roof," a coalition of Bay Area activist groups, were planning to stage a news conference and rally at 4:45 p.m. outside Concord City Hall at 1950 Parkside Drive. The open
session portion of the City Council meeting was scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m.

By Bay City News Service

Photo by Charles Reed/U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement via Associated Press