Union City Votes To Become Compassionate City

UNION CITY, CA —The City Council unanimously voted to declare Union City a Compassionate City to protect our residents. The resolution builds on existing policies to clearly articulate the City's position related to federal immigration policy.

Mayor Carol Dutra-Vernaci affirms that “Union City is one of the most diverse cities in the state of California. We have always embraced principles that encompass safety, tolerance and compassion for everyone in our diverse community, no matter what your background is, but it was time to put our values in writing to give people a greater sense of security.”

The Work of the Human Relations Commission

After ongoing inquiries from the community, the Human Relations Commission (HRC) spent time reviewing current city policies and researching local information on the matter. The HRC led community discussions with people from all walks of life and service providers. At the conclusion of their outreach, they made a recommendation to City Council that becoming a Compassionate City was in the best interest of our residents, and would demonstrate that Union City is committed to being free of prejudice and discrimination.

Being a Compassionate City means:

• Our policy and practice of treating everyone equally, without regard to race, color, national origin, or immigration status, is unchanged, and will remain as strong as it has always been.
• We affirm that we have no legal authority to partner with federal authorities to enforce federal civil immigration law.
• We continue to encourage people to engage with us, freely access city services, and be free of fear in reporting crime to us, regardless of your immigration status.

-Announcement from City of Union City