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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSummary MemoAGENDA SUMMARY MEMO RE.7 Date: May 4, 2010 Commission Meeting Date: May 13, 2010 Sponsor: COMMISSIONER RICHARD P. DUNN II Agenda Item: RESOLUTION Subject: CONDEMING A NEW ANTI -IMMIGRATION MEASURE ADOPTED BY ARIZONA Impact: CITYWIDE Purpose of the Item: The purpose of the proposed resolution is to condemn the new anti -immigration measure adopted by Arizona and to encourage the boycott of businesses and the Arizona's activities. Background Information: On April 23, 20io, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed Senate Bill 1070 --Support Our law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act. This law will require all local law enforcement to investigate a person's immigration status whenever there is a reasonable suspicion that the person is in the Country unlawfully, regardless of whether the person is suspected of a crime. The law goes further and allows for the arrest of a person, without a warrant, if there is probable cause that the person has committed a public offense. SB 1070 encourages racial profiling and violates the Fourteenth Amendment guaranteeing due process and equal protection for U.S. Citizens, legal residents and visitors. The City of Miami has historically supported policies that prohibit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, and disability. By adopting the proposed Resolution the City of Miami would urge the State of Arizona to repeal SB 1070. Furthermore, it would include opposition to any budgetary action or legislation that promotes racial profiling or discrimination based on race, ethnicity or national origin in the Council's Federal Legislative Program. Supporting Information: Oakland City Officials Condemn Arizona Immigration Bill Posted: 6:51 pm PDT April 28, 2010Updated: 10:47 am PDT April 29, 2010 KTVU.com OAKLAND, Calif. -- Members of the Oakland City Council will present a resolution Thursday condemning a new anti -immigration measure signed into law last week by Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer and propose a boycott of the state. Agenda Item: ORDINANCE - op moo - Council President Jane Brunner, Vice Mayor Jean Quan and Councilman Ignacio De La Fuente will join clergy members and other local residents on the steps of Oakland City Hall Thursday to announce the resolution. The controversial Arizona law makes it a state crime to be in the country illegally and requires police officers to question, "when practicable," those they "reasonably suspect" are illegal immigrants. Under the new law, even lawful foreign residents would be committing a crime by failing to carry immigration documents, and it would be illegal to stop on a public street to negotiate the hire of day laborers. San Francisco city officials also took action earlier this week against Arizona. Mayor Gavin Newsom imposed a moratorium on city employee travel to the state of Arizona for official business, while Supervisor David Campos introduced legislation calling for a citywide boycott of the state and Arizona - based businesses. Brunner said in a statement that she "appreciated (San Francisco) taking the lead" on the issue, and urged other cities around the nation to pass similar resolutions. Brunner said when she first saw the measure was signed into law last week, her first response was "we need to do something about this" by taking action in the council. "It reminded me of when Japanese were interned in camps, when Jewish people in Germany were identified," she said. Brunner said the proposed boycotts of Arizona by cities like Oakland and San Francisco would hopefully "send a very strong message that this (immigration law) is going to hurt them financially." The council members will bring the resolution to the council's rules committee following the news conference, which is scheduled for io a.m. at City Hall, located at i Frank H. Ogawa Plaza. The resolution would then likely be voted on at Tuesday's City Council meeting, Brunner said. Copyright 2010 by Bay City News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. San Diego City Council, Human Relations Commission take stand against Arizona law Monday, May 3, 2010 By Aaron Heier, Associate Editor Agenda Item: ORDINANCE - `��ti 7 �.. San Diego City Hall passed a resolution Monday calling on Arizona to repeal its new statewide anti -immigration law. Councilman Carl DeMaio was the only member who voted against the resolution. Both Mayor Jerry Sanders and Police Chief William Landsdowne fully supported the resolution. The City of San Diego's Human Relations Commission urged City Council to send a strong message and join other cities and elected officials who have called for a boycott of Arizona. City Commissioners Bruce M. Abrams and Nicole Murray Ramirez spoke before City Council and issued the following statement: The San Diego Human Relations Commission would like to thank the City Council for considering Council President Ben Hueso 's resolution condemning Arizona Senate Bill 1070 and urging its repeal. The Human Relations Commission feels that the legislation raises such major civil rights, humanitarian and Constitutional issues that we must ask the City Council to approve this item today indicating our strong opposition to any policy thatpromotes racial prof ling or discrimination based on race, ethnicity or national origin. We further call upon the City Council to immediately create a task force with the objective ofproducing a stronger resolution calling for a boycott of Arizona. The task force should analyze the impact of potential boycott measures and develop specific and effective recommendations which the City can implement. Opposition to this punitive new anti -immigration law has become widespread in the short time since passage. The cities of Los Angeles, San Francisco, St. Paul, Washington DC and many others have called for boycotts or are in the process of doing so. Arizona Rep. Raul Gr�alva has called for an economic boycott by businesses that would locate in Arizona or meet to conduct business in the state. Boycotts have been successfully applied to Arizona in the past. In 1990, when Arizona failed to recognize Martin Luther King Jr. 's birthday as a holiday, approximately 170 conventions boycotted the state between 1990 and 1993. In just the last week, 19 conventions have reportedly been canceled in Arizona. As the task force proceeds, we suggest the following responses be considered during their research: • An immediate moratorium on City employee travel to Arizona for official business • A freeze on City contracts and purchasing from businesses in Arizona • A call for economic boycott by businesses that would conduct business in Arizona or visitors who would travel or meet there The Human Relations Commission thanks the City Council for taking this action today and we continue to urge the Federal Government to move forward with comprehensive immigration reform. County condemns Arizona immigration law By Marty Schladen 1 El Paso Times Posted: 05/03201010:15:33 PM MDT Aaenda Item ORDINANCE— EL PASO -- A split County Commissioners Court on Monday approved a resolution condemning an Arizona law aimed at ousting undocumented immigrants. The resolution calls on county government to limit discretionary spending with Arizona -based companies. It also encourages El Paso County residents to boycott companies that are headquartered in Arizona. In addition, it calls on the Texas Legislature to approve similar legislation, and it urges Congress to approve a bill that would reform U.S. immigration laws. After impassioned testimony from scores of people, commissioners Willie Gandara Jr., Anna Perez and Veronica Escobar voted for the resolution. County Judge Anthony Cobos and Commissioner Daniel Haggerty dissented. The Arizona law prohibits racial profiling, but Gandara, Escobar, Perez and other opponents say it encourages police to demand proof of citizenship from people if they look Hispanic. The commissioners rejected an amendment by Escobar that would exempt locally owned franchises of Arizona companies from any citizen boycott. Escobar said she was worried that workers at businesses such as Peter Piper Pizza would be hurt by the boycott. But Gandara, who sponsored the resolution, said he did not want to water it down. He said economic pressure forced the Arizona Legislature to adopt a Martin Luther King holiday in the ig8os, and similar pressure will defeat the new immigration law. Cobos and Haggerty also voted against the amendment. Arizona's foray into immigration enforcement will create "a climate of fear and persecution of Latinos," Gandara said. Cobos said he, too, opposed the Arizona law, which requires police officers to ask people for proof of citizenship if police suspect they are in the country illegally. "There is an anti -Latino movement nationwide," Cobos said. But he blamed that sentiment on Americans' frustration with the national debt and high federal taxes. "This country is in trouble and Latinos are being scapegoated," Cobos said. Still, Cobos voted against the resolution in part because it does not call for boycotts of Nevada and California. Those are the home states of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Democrats who have the power to fix the U.S. immigration system, Cobos said. And, by looking for undocumented immigrants, Arizona police will detect other crimes, such as sex slavery, Cobos said. "Undocumented immigrants have nowhere to turn and some of them are going to be free because of this bill," Cobos said of the Arizona law. Haggerty said Arizona law is Arizona's affair, and El Paso County has no business commenting on it. He also said boycotts and minority professional organizations are a kind of racial profiling. Aaena.Item: ORDINANCE - 'The Mexican -American Bar Association?" he asked. "Ouch. Where's the White -American Bar Association?" More than 40 members of the public spoke, and the vast majority favored the resolution. "I don't know what an undocumented person looks like, but 1'd like to thank Arizona for showing me the color of hate," Cecilio Saucedo said. Not all in attendance opposed the Arizona law. "Criminal is not a race. Illegal is not a race," Armando Cardoza said, rejecting criticisms that the law amounted to racial profiling. Salvador Gomez said there was nothing wrong with police asking for proof of legal residence. "If you don't like it, go. Leave America," he said. Former state Rep. Paul Moreno, who served for more than 40 years, took the opposite position. He called the Arizona law the "most divisive and prejudicial statute" he had seen. "Mexico was stolen by the United States," Moreno said. "We have earned the right to be Americans." Budget Impact Analysis NO Is this item related to revenue? Is this item an expenditure? If so, please identify funding source below. General Account No: Special Revenue Account No: CIP Project No: NO Is this item funded by Homeland Defense/Neighborhood Improvement Bonds? Start Up Capital Cost: Maintenance Cost: Total Fiscal Impact: None 5 Agenda Item: ORDINANCE —