Speaker 0: Okay. So we're going to go ahead and go to the regular agenda items. Item 22.
Speaker 3: Report from City Manager Recommendation to receive and file a report on the Long Beach Values Act and adopt a resolution entitled the Long Beach Values Act of 2018 Citywide.
Speaker 0: Okay. Thank you. I'm going to turn this over, I believe council. I'm going to go to start first for the presentation, so we will begin. Mr. West.
Speaker 4: Mayor, council members, our deputy city manager, Kevin Jackson and his team are.
Speaker 5: Going to present this item. They've been working on it for quite some time. Kevin Okay. Thank you, Pat. Good evening. Honorable Mayor Garcia and members of the City Council is my absolute pleasure to present this report on the Long Beach Vows Act of 2018. Before we get into the presentation, I'd like to acknowledge Deputy City Manager Monica Kalita and officer equity manager Katie Balderas, who will be assisting me with the presentation tonight. Get the clear. So to get started to provide context for tonight's discussion, I'd like to share some demographic information about our immigrant population in Long Beach. More than one in four residents in Long Beach is an immigrant. This includes at least 123,000 naturalized citizens, lawful permanent residents, temporary migrants, humanitarian migrants and other foreign born residents who were not U.S. citizens at birth. Nearly three quarters of immigrants in Long Beach have been living in the U.S. for 17 or more years. And one in three workers in the civilian labor force are immigrants. And over a quarter of Long Beach residents, immigrants are homeowners. And finally, over half of children over half the children in Long Beach have at least one parent born outside of the U.S.. So to get right into the item on September 19th, 2017, the city manager received direction from the City Council to partner with immigrant rights organizations to develop a local policy that expands on SB 54 with the following policy considerations in mind protecting and advancing, protecting and advocating for local DOCA and Dreamer students. Protecting the confidentiality of local immigrant residents and their information. Examining partnerships with the Los Angeles County Fair Local Defense Fund. Preventing future deportations of Long Beach residents. And affirming an aggressive approach to advocating at the federal and state level. For programing. We get policies. Engagement was the starting point for policy developing. Taking time to consider all stakeholder perspectives and to engage a core city. A core team of city staff representing the appropriate expertize from the Health Department's Office of Equity, the Police Department, City Attorney's Office, and the city manager's office was the essential first step in effectively assessing all relevant issues and to establish a method for facilitating organization. Community engagement. Doing the policy development process. Community Engagement included a series of listening sessions with key stakeholders led by the Office of Equity in the City Manager's office. Our initial session occurred with the Sanctuary Long Beach Coalition on September 29th, a little more than a week after receiving council direction. The Coalition was broadly represented at this initial meeting and we were able to gain some immediate insights from each organization on their concerns and general aspirations for local policy. In a follow up session on October 16, Coalition members presented our team with specific recommendations they would like to see in a city policy. And we all. We also followed up with listening sessions with the Executive Director of Central Chair, Cal State, Long Beach Police Chief, and the Director of the Dream Success Center at Cal State Long Beach. Most recently, we held a follow up session with the Coalition on February 13th. So what we heard from the listening sessions is that we should explore the development of a local policy that protects sensitive information and limited use of city resources for assisting enforcement of federal immigration law. We also heard that we should consider enhancing access to legal representation for local residents, and also that we should enhance the city's federal and state legislative advocacy. We found these interest to be consistent with the initial city council direction and identify them as core policy considerations for further analysis and development. Our report tonight will provide information on each of the core policy considerations, starting with an overview of the proposed local policy. So in developing a policy enveloping the policy under consideration tonight, we evaluated 28 California cities with policies related to immigrant protections. We compared our current policies and practices with the provisions of SB 54, the policy recommendations of the Sanctuary Long Beach Coalition. And from this analysis, we created an initial draft policy. And at the conclusion of an offer of a final administrative and legal review, we obtained input from the Coalition on the proposed policy in our February 13th meeting. All employee associations were notified of the proposed policy on February 27th, and at this point negotiations have not concluded. So as propose, the policy to an administrative regulation would establish limits for requesting and sharing information with immigration authorities and using city resources to assist with immigration enforcement. Here is addressed in the policy include limits on sharing personal and sensitive information, sharing release date information, executing transfers, responding to whole requests, enforcing civil immigration warrants and the use of city facilities. The the proposed policy allows the city to continue collecting information necessary for providing city customers. City services unrelated to immigration enforcement retains the law enforcement exceptions permitted in SB 54 and requires compliance with all relevant federal, state, local laws and regulations, including Title eight of the United States Code, subsection 1373 and 1644. The policy would expand protections for sensitive information beyond citizenship and immigration status by including the additional categories reflected here. The scope of the proposed policy is another area of expansion. SB 54 applies only to law enforcement agencies, whereas the proposed policy would apply to all city manager departments and offices. And in the interests of administrative uniformity, we would ask that the City Council consider requesting other city departments and offices to comply with the post policy or similar procedures. We also like to acknowledge that training will be provided to all city departments and offices on the adopted policy. The City Council letter for this item was published on March 5th, and at that time we did not foresee a fiscal impact relating to the implementation of the proposed policy. However, on March six, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit against the State of California regarding three state laws providing immigrant protections, including SB 54 California values that the lawsuit alleges that SB 54 and its policy consistent with it violates Title eight of the United States Code, subsection 1373. While this is a matter of interpretation that will only be settled by the courts, we must acknowledge with this new development that that the fiscal impact of the proposed policy is uncertain relating to the continuation of our eligibility for federal grants. Currently, the police department received nearly $6.7 million for Homeland Security and other law enforcement purposes. So now turning to the other consideration, legal representation, enhancing access to legal representation was another policy consideration and it corresponded with the council's initial direction and we were specifically directed to examine partnerships with L.A. County for a local legal defense fund. In response to this direction, staff conducted an analysis of the L.A. Justice Fine, as well as similar initiatives underway in California and throughout the nation. In our analysis, we were able to gain understanding of the outcomes associated with legal representation for immigrants. The most robust evaluation of community based legal representation comes from the very Institute of Justice. The very Institute of Justice works with government, nonprofit partners and communities to increase immigrants access to legal services and improve relationships between immigrant communities and the law enforcement community. Locally, Vera is the evaluator for the L.A. Justice Fund and has provided matching funding for the city of Santa Anna's legal representation for it. In his November 2017 report, the November 2017 Report of the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project. Vera found that 48% of immigrants who had proper representation in court were successful in their cases, an increase of 1100 percent between when compared to the 4% success rate for typical unrepresented cases. The evaluation also found that 41% of clients in deportation proceedings had entered the entered or resided in the U.S. legally, either as a legal permanent resident or on a visa. Additionally, among parents who received representation in immigrant in immigration proceedings, 86% of their children had some form of legal status, primarily U.S. citizenship. So we also found in our analysis that there are a total of 491 individuals with pending immigration cases who do not have legal representation in Long Beach, Lakewood area. And only 9% of only 9% of individuals with cases filed in the last 90 days have legal representation. These cases are decided much more quickly and are usually unsuccessful. The main object of our analysis was the L.A. Justice Fund. The L.A. Justice Plan consists of $7.6 million contributed by the city and county of L.A., the Weingart Foundation and the California Community Foundation, which acts as the fiscal sponsor to administer the fund. In 2017, the foundation granted this money to 17 community based organizations to provide legal services to any eligible L.A. County resident. However, because the L.A. Justice Fund is a countywide resource, there is no way to prioritize Long Beach residents with the fund within the fund. We therefore found that it would not be possible to establish a local fund that prioritizes access to legal representation for Long Beach residents through a direct partnership with the L.A. Justice Fund. So to complete our analysis on what we thought it would take to feasibly establish a local legal defense fund, we created a conceptual model that could be implemented via public private partnership. To establish this bond. One time seed funding would be required in this model to encourage matching funds from philanthropic and individual sources. This bond could be established with a community foundation who could subsequently conduct an RFP process to select a legal services provider. This approach is similar to the way the L.A. Justice Fund operates. So what could this one do? At a minimum, the fine could provide legal representation for eligible individuals who are facing detention, deportation or in danger of losing immigration status. Parents who fear deportation and are in need of custody, support for their children under the age of 18. And those seeking asylum. Young people protected by Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, DOCA and other related DEPORT should be taught deportation. Defense support. So who could this fund potentially serve? Also, at a minimum, the fund could provide services for individuals based on residency. People who live or work in the city of Long Beach and income individuals with a household income below 200% of the federal poverty level. This would be equivalent. This would be equivalent of $32,480 for a family of two or $49,200 for a family of four. So finally tonight, the last consideration relates to legislative advocacy. And the city has affirmed an aggressive approach to advocating at the federal and state levels for pro-immigrant policies. Council approved to approve the 2018 federal and state legislative agendas on January 23rd, including its official position on issues related to immigration, citizenship and DOCA on February 21st, as Congress was considering policy changes related to immigration, citizenship and DOCA. The city sent a letter to our federal delegation affirming our city's city council's adopted federal legislative positions on these matters. The city also connects weekly with our state and federal legislative advocates in Sacramento, in Washington, D.C.. They have confirmed that at this time there are no legislative proposals on immigration that are under consideration. We will continue to keep an eye out for legislation that is consistent with the city's adopted federal and state legislative agendas to ensure Long Beach remains aggressive in our advocacy efforts. That concludes the staff's presentation on the Long Beach Values Act of 2018.
Speaker 0: Okay. Thank you. Thank you very much. I to turn this over to Councilman Gonzales, who was one of the initial initial author to bring this forward. Councilman Gonzales.
Speaker 3: Yes. I first want to thank everybody for being here. I first have to think quite a few people because I know just talking about it within my office. We've been at this for nearly two years plus, if not more. And I know many of you have been at this longer than our office has. So we really appreciate all of your work. That includes Central Cha. Thank you so much. They've talked a lot about integration services and they're currently doing all of that work now. Sanctuary, Long Beach Coalition, that is a multitude of many coalitions put together and we appreciate all of their work to get these this information together and make sure that we highlight all of the issues remaining about immigration in Long Beach. Our Police Officers Association, Long Beach Police Department and thank you to city staff. Kevin came on board and then we sort of threw him into this this big policy. But I think it was very strategic in the way he presented it. And I really appreciate Katey as well from the Office of Equity. Together, they really informed me as to their collaborative effort. So I appreciate that. And I want to thank everyone for being here tonight as advocates and for sharing your stories about the impacts of our broken federal immigration system. We know that there are many hardworking families here in the city of Long Beach. I personally represent over 60% of of families in my district who are Latino. We know that we have the largest Cambodian population outside of the country. This is not new news to us. And nearly 30% of our residents identify as foreign born per the 2010 census. But that's who we can count. We know that's probably well more than that. We will be the first city to enact a policy, a local policy where the first largest city to enact a local policy, depending on what happens tonight after SB 54. And we were actually the very first city to enact our support for SB 54 as it was going through the process. So I want to really thank our state and federal legislative committees, as well as our state and federal government affairs team with Diana Tang in our city management for keeping us privy to the ongoing news of SB 54. So as a daughter of an immigrant immigrant, my mom came from our client as Mexico, and I know exactly what many of you are feeling. It took her many years to get naturalized and then become a U.S. citizen. But I know that many immigrant families now, whether wherever you come from, we need to certainly build a city here of inclusivity and a city where you know that you're welcomed. And we know currently that many ICE raids are occurring. And whatever happens tonight, I have to be I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but I have to just be very crystal clear here, whatever passes tonight. And I'm hopeful that will pass something that will absolutely protect our immigrants that still, unfortunately, does not deter federal agents from coming in and deporting our neighbors, our friends, our family members, our sisters. So I just want to be crystal clear here, but what we can do is we can look forward to the future, as to what we can put together for Long Beach. And as the Center for American Progress Report, some of the most influential people in our in our country entrepreneurs, business people are the are immigrants themselves are children of immigrants. I actually work for one of the largest corporations. And what I was so excited about was that they put forward their support for immigrant employees. And we know we have many of them here as well. And in fact, many local business owners over this last year who generally are very conservative, you know, we know what side of the aisle they're on came to me in comments. And told me that they really wanted to see a local policy passed because they knew that their workforce, many of them who were undocumented, would hit their bottom line. And for whatever reason, they cared for this policy. They told me in confidence that this was very important to them as well. Many people have different opinions on this, but as I mentioned, we have a city that has an obligation to stand with our immigrant brothers and sisters and ensure that they have every opportunity to make a positive impact, not just with this policy, but with future years to come. That means continuing to help them with naturalization and citizenship. That means continuing to help them at Long Beach Unified School District with educational resources. That means continue to work with our faith based partners, many of which, you know, in my the Catholic Church that I attend, the priest there is actually holding many of the birth certificates and medical documents in order to help immigrant families so that if anything happens, they have all their necessary documentation in one place and. First I'd like to say as well that we know that the federal government is coming down on California pretty hard. And we know that Attorney General Jeff Sessions is coming down on California very hard due to sanctuary city policies. And we just heard in the staff report that there are some concerns. And although we want don't want to say that these concerns are not going to happen because many federal courts have shot them down and local courts have shot them down, we know that it's still a concern for our city funding, despite the best efforts. We know that we have several federal cases in the past that have affirm this legal issue, that it is on constitutional for them to come down on California so hard. For example, in April 2017, San Francisco and Santa Clara County versus Donald Trump, U.S. District Judge William Orrick filed an injunction against President Trump's executive order trying to strip funding away from local cities, passing sanctuary policies. And in his opinion, which is one of many opinions, the constitution vests the spending powers in Congress, not the president. So the executive order cannot constitutionally place new conditions on federal funds. And as 60% of immigrants have been here for at least a decade or more, about $13 billion of their payroll taxes rolled into our systems while receiving little to no benefit. And many of us know this whether you're students, you're an employee, we know that you're giving to the system, but unfortunately not seeing much in return. And while the federal government is currently suing the state of California, particularly challenging the state rights as granted in the 10th Amendment over SB 54 and other immigrant immigration related bills, I'm confident that we will be able to prevail in court as a state and as the first city in California to support SB 54. It's certainly the spirit of this bill to lend our support and funding for a Long Beach Values Act and for residents of all different backgrounds and of all different spaces in the city. So I'm going to leave my comments there for now. I will lend my comments to Councilmember Pearce. I see a few people queuing up as well and then we'll go from there. But I want to say thank you again for being here and then we'll go forward with some motions and recommendations.
Speaker 0: Thank you. That was the that was the make or make of the motion. I'm not I'm not sure if those guys were welcome to clap, but whoever's making those noises just just now, actually, you have a chance to do your time, sir. So please, just, you know, clapping or silence. Next up is Councilmember Pearce.
Speaker 2: Thank you, Councilmember Lena Gonzalez. And thank you, everybody, that is here today. I see a packed house and I know that for many of you that are here in this room, you, you, yourself or someone in your family might be undocumented. And coming out of this council meeting is, in fact, a step of stepping out of a place of fear and into courage. And so I just want to give you guys a round of applause for that. Yes, definitely. America was built on immigrants, right? America was built on immigrants. And part of what we know is that national and international policies often dictate the movement of people. Right. Sometimes people ask me, what am I doing in my sociology degree? And it's understanding how institutions and structures have an effect on people. And so we know that people come to our country for something better. We know that people make risk and leave families behind for something better. And we know that families live here for 20 and 30 years, sometimes before something happens. And like the gentleman that was at Cal State, Long Beach, who had a record, which I'm sure somebody here will speak to from 20 years prior, turned his life around and made a difference and ended up being deported, leaving his entire family back here. And so I look forward to hearing your story, your stories of courage. I want to thank the staff for their work on this. I think, you know, it's good to kind of see where the baseline is. But I do have a lot of concerns, as I've vocalized to many of you, with having something that looks similar to SB 54. So I look forward to hearing some recommendations from my colleagues. I look forward to hearing from you all in the audience today. I definitely support a financial fund, and I think having a conversation around how we have that, how much that fund should be is really important. But above all, I want to make sure that I'm advocating on behalf of every resident, whether they're a registered voter or not in our city, and that we know that our justice system is often flawed. And that is not a statement about one police officer. That is not a statement about Long Beach's police department. That is a statement around the American justice system that we too often have people of color that are imprisoned or pulled over. And I don't want that flawed system to break somebody's life and put them back in a country where they might not know anybody. And so I hope that tonight, through the conversations that we get to a place where you can leave here feeling protected and like Long Beach has gone above and beyond what the state has done. And that's where I'll leave my comments now and I look forward to hearing from my colleagues. Thank you.
Speaker 0: Thank you very much. We are okay. We're going to go move on to public comment and then we'll have other debate and discussion from the council. So please line up and please make sure you say your name for the record and we will begin public comment. Hey, Mr. Pete, you know, we start. I got to get my phone right. Okay. Robert, Pete, represent Jesus Christ. Only one that sits around here. That's some bullcrap. And you advocating for people of color, you don't give a damn about a nigger. That's all you are is a communist. And you for illegals, you don't care about black people. Maybe you shouldn't even done this. I ain't never gonna forget this. And anybody who votes for this, this ain't no damn mafia matter. So, you know, especially black dudes. I mean, they don't gave $99 billion last year due to illegal aliens to 1.4 trillion since 2015. And now we give them people who don't deserve one damn dime. Now, I love I have a lot of people that undocumented I love. But hey, what about us? What about us? I'm here for my people, too. But I will never hear. I'll never be a socialist talking about nothing for us. Let's. I'm saying what I want. Don't ask me up, please. You came out here. You came on as a Republican and you backstab and you, Benedict Arnold, people over here, you got money from people I know you liar. You. When did you just see? I'm talking to you. I'm just talking. You shut the hell up. Hey, so. So, yeah. Address the. And then you tell her. Don't talk about the issue. I'm saying what I have to say. No, I don't like none of this. You get your ass back to Peru and do this shit or whatever, you know, don't. Don't do it here. This is America red, white and blue. So you ain't doing it out of a damn about none of them. Tell them to shut up. Yea. Yea. Yea. Yea. Yea. You're going to get on the dance floor, but then you do it, so you're going to be asked for that anyway. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 2: But. See. I think your.
Speaker 1: Language is very offensive, and I don't really care for it. Mr. Mayor.
Speaker 0: I know. Hey. Hey. I got a time here. Thanks. I know you're almost up for me. Mm hmm. Mm hmm. Mm hmm. You put millions, trillions to it you live with. Ever since Obama's been said nothing about no referee. Okay. Shut up. You talking about. All right. Time's up, sir. Time's up. Thank you. Thank you very much. Time's up. Thank you very much. All right, sir. Time's up. Got to go. Thank you, Mr. Pitt. Thank you very much. Your time is up, sir. Thank you very much. Okay. Mr.. Mr.. Gucci, before you speak of just 1/2. So just as a reminder, believe it or not, sometimes even all opinions have the ability to speak in front of the city council, including the he has a First Amendment right to say what he wants to say. It's been well documented in the courts. And so we will continue on the three minute time period. And we'll begin with Mr. Goode here. Mr. Goode, who praised my pragmatic solution to this issue, is that those people who are considered in South Dakota. Should line up, put their name on a list if they're not there already. And then what they need to do is get in line behind those who have been in this country legally. Now, for those people who are legal residents of the United States and who have come have followed the process, if they so elect, what they can do then is take one of the individuals that is in the dock line. And say, okay, I will underwrite your cost. So, John. Q Public does not have to pay to pay for that period, whatever those costs are. But what you have to do is get in line. Wait your turn. And for those people that want to pay for these people, they can certainly do so. But the government should not be forced to pay for illegal. Immigration. Period. Ahmed No matter who it is, no matter where they came from. Guys, everyone, please, in the audience, everyone gets a chance to speak now. No comments. Please, Mr.. Get here. That's the fair way to do that.
Speaker 5: In my view. Thank you.
Speaker 0: Thank you. Next speaker, please. HAYES Thank you, counsel, for having me. My name is Jonathan Solorzano.
Speaker 5: I'm a resident of the ninth District and a community organizer.
Speaker 0: With the Long Term Regret Coalition. Since January of 2017, the community involved.
Speaker 5: In its Sanctuary Language.
Speaker 4: Campaign.
Speaker 5: Has been consistent in advocating for a sanctuary.
Speaker 0: For all policy to help prevent the deportation of immigrants. Immigrants are deeply rooted in the history and diversity of the Long Beach community. And if our city is to reflect our values and respect what the City Council directed on September 19th of 2017, local law enforcement should not be helping to deport any immigrant residents. Despite members of our campaign working with a broad group of city staff, including the Long Beach Police Department. The current proposal of the Long Beach Values Act falls short of this shared value. What I want to do now is ask everybody who's here tonight to support a claim on beach values that to please stand tonight and please remain standing. Tonight, you will be hearing from community members from this city who want to see their political leaders stand on the right side of history and not only vote for this policy sitting in front of you tonight, but to also remove the language that would effectively leave out a huge population of our immigrant community, some of which are here tonight, by not pushing for more than what SB four, SB 54 offered. We're essentially wasting our time here. We need to do more as a city. We need to do more as a community. Because what we just heard earlier is only the beginning. This isn't a year into the Trump administration, and we've been seeing more and more attacks. We've been seeing more and more raids and deportations. And if this city does not stand for the immigrant communities, then they're effectively telling us which side they stand on. It is not a it is not a time to compromise. It is not a time to debate. These are people's lives we're dealing with here tonight. And I urge you all to please stand on the right side of history and vote for a Clean Lobby's Values Act. Thank you. Next speaker, please. Next speaker. Good evening, city council members. My name is Jarrod Jimenez. I'm actually the chairperson of Unagi and Long Beach, a youth, a student organization that fights for the rights of Filipino youth here in the U.S. and in the Philippines. We are here today to support our immigrants and our undocumented community. And that enough is enough as a. That's who came here 24 years ago from the Philippines. I've seen my own family members get deported, and it hurts to see that that they were immediately taken away from their families, just like the 6000 Filipinos that leave the Philippines every single day to provide a better life for their families. My family arrived here and faced even more exploitation and hardship, like when my mother experienced wage theft and not being paid all the hours that she's worked, not speaking up when her employer treated her badly, and also fearing the police because she was undocumented and she didn't even know what her employer would do. As a youth of color, growing up here in Long Beach. I have also experienced neglect and criminalization in school and in my community. Now that I've turned my life around for the better, serving the Filipino community as a citizen. I'm very lucky to be standing here with a second chance, but a lot to a lot of our undocumented youth and our immigrant families who have turned their lives around. The second chance is nowhere near them. They are deported and separated from their families. Immediately, it is important that the city of Long Beach use city council members and its local law enforcement do not collaborate with ICE as we are seeing this administration. More and more families are being separated and we can no longer stay silent about that. The carve outs that were proposed by the city staff of giving information to ICE on past convictions is actually giving them more of a reason to separate and deport our families. Immigrants who has had past convictions and served their time deserve a second chance. If the city really upholds and celebrates diversity, then that should mean all of our immigrants. There is no time for sitting around and letting time pass by while someone's family out there is being affected. So as I'm standing here today speaking to you all and I, along with my community right here, we need a clean Long Beach Values Act that will keep our families together and our families to be healthy. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker, please.
Speaker 2: Hi, my name is Denzel Bucharest, and I'm here representing the office.
Speaker 3: Of Congressmember Alan.
Speaker 2: Lowenthal, and he wanted me to read this.
Speaker 3: Statement on his behalf. I want to urge the City Council to bicycling Long Beach Values Act with no carve outs for past convictions and a fully funded deportation defense fund. The impacts of these carve out is inconsistent with the values of diversity, progress and inclusion, as it disproportionately excludes the majority of the Cambodian refugee community currently highly vulnerable to deportation. In November of 2017, I sent a letter to the President and the Department of Homeland Security expressing my deep concern.
Speaker 2: About multiple reports of.
Speaker 3: ICE targeting Cambodian Americans in the city of Long Beach and across the country for detention and possible deportation. Reports show that California is the most impacted with a significant.
Speaker 2: Number belonging.
Speaker 3: To my district. The rates are causing extreme worry and distress for many families in and around our communities.
Speaker 2: In recent months.
Speaker 3: Constituents have contacted my office to express terror and trauma that they are experiencing.
Speaker 2: From escalated.
Speaker 3: Deportation tactics of the current administration.
Speaker 2: Most, if not all, of those detained were lawful permanent residents who came to.
Speaker 3: The United States as refugees following the end of the Khmer Rouge genocide.
Speaker 2: Many were born in refugee.
Speaker 3: Camps and have never set foot in the countries that ICE is trying to remove them to.
Speaker 2: Upon arrival into the US, many where we settle into neighborhoods.
Speaker 3: Struggling with high rates of poverty, crime and failing.
Speaker 2: Schools still coping with significant trauma.
Speaker 3: From the war. These refugee kids made mistakes as teenagers and young adults and were fueling to the criminal justice system.
Speaker 2: All of them served their time and the majority transformed their lives to become productive community members.
Speaker 3: Business owners and loving parents supporting their U.S. citizen, families seeking the deportation of individuals.
Speaker 2: Who have already completed their sentences and have comply with the law completely since.
Speaker 3: Then is an.
Speaker 2: Unconscionable form of double jeopardy. It is troubling to see.
Speaker 3: One of the biggest roundups of Southeast Asian refugees in recent memory happening.
Speaker 2: Our constituents and families across.
Speaker 3: The city and the country should not be used as political.
Speaker 2: Pawns. I call on the Long Beach City Council to pass a clean Long Beach Values Act to protect.
Speaker 3: These vulnerable communities. Thank you.
Speaker 0: Thank you very much. Next week, a police. Good evening, Mayor. City Council. I live in a first year. Took in the Walker building where I own a loft. And I want to talk to you a bit about this, because my family came to this country about 310 years ago. So it's quite a bit back there. We came into the Atlanta was owned by the indigenous people. It was their land. I'm not happy what's happened to them either. But I also then in the family of an immigrant, as are almost everybody in this room, and anybody with a European background definitely is. Other people were brought here against their will, but we took the land from the people who are here and in fact, the people of Latin America who are so seen as the enemy here and and wanted to be deported. They, in fact, come from families, many of which are African. I mean, not African. Well, they're African, too, but also Spanish and Indian. So, in fact, these are the real people of this country. All of us are all the people up here. We're the people of the country. And you are, too. And we have to remember that. And we have to do right by people here. And that means there is no cut out. If people are served a sentence or people have been found guilty in to care their parole and probation, now they are back to having their rights . And we don't help somebody else come in from outside and deal with the questions of criminal justice in our city. This is important because we need to build a future so that everyone feels secure. I've worked in immigration issues since the 1960s, starting back in the Midwest, and all the time that we see that if people can feel free in their neighborhoods, they can then move forward, maybe towards citizenship. They can have less fear of reporting crime and things like that. We have to keep it so people can talk to other people and that is so important. And having a good sanctuary city policy with no cut outs so everybody can feel like they have a place here that builds trust and that builds love. And it means that children get education and people have jobs, and we need to do that. And I think that is what you're being called upon to do here. And I want to see that as a person in this city and of this country, I want to see those gates open people from all lands to come here. And by the way, every time this would ever come up in this country, or at least over in my life and I'm 78 years old, it's always been people of color. They wanted to get rid of whether Mexicans or other Central Americans or Asians, whatever. For some reason they never say, Well, let's kick out Irish or Let's kick kick out some Brit. And if you go to the west side of this of L.A., you know, there's a whole lot of illegal Irish and other British over there, but nobody ever said, let's go get them and round them up. No, it's always one that the people of color from the parts of the world, there are people of color. We have to look at this as a real justice issue and you can help do it. Thank you. Thank you. Next week offers. Good evening, Major Cashier Vice Mayor Reg Richardson and all members of city councils. My name is Occupy. I am the community operations director at the Community Development Y.M.C.A. at Long Beach. I and I am an immigrant and I am a resident of Long Beach. We are one of the YMCA across the country focusing on providing and focusing on providing comprehensive services to immigrants to help them better integrate into the communities and preparing receiving community to be more welcoming and inclusive. The Y is very committed to helping immigrants and their family become more civically engaged in the community and building bridges between U.S. and Western and immigrants for more cohesive community. For example, over the last 17 years, our YMCA Youth Institute has inclusively connected and integrated over 4000 immigrant youth and youth immigrant parents into the community. We train them to be community leaders, social in top in law and civically engaged. We also host a community event like welcoming event to unify immigrants and as one resident, to have them build relationships between people of all backgrounds. By building bridges, we have to break down the often negative perception and still types often associated with the national immigration debate, since they are immigrant, dreaming to stay united with their family and keep their livelihood. It matters to us.
Speaker 2: That.
Speaker 0: They can be our family members, our friends, our colleagues, or even know we don't know them. It is our solemn obligation and social responsibility to ensure that we are here for them as they will people who will volunteer for us. Let it be the change and vote to make Long Beach a more welcoming and inclusive century city and bold stand up for all immigrants, including Dreamers. Let us feel our love, passion, commitment and social responsibility. And I. I faithfully believe that we all can do it. Can you say beat me? We can do it. We can do. We can do it. Yeah. I want diversity. Our diversity is always the greatest strength of this community of Long Beach nations.
Speaker 2: When we are.
Speaker 0: Protected, invested and supported with equity and inclusion, all of our children deserve a better community. We all are treated equally. We all are protected. We all are supported with.
Speaker 2: Equity and.
Speaker 0: Inclusion, and we deserve a better America. We all are treated equally. No matter where they come from, we can do it. Let's pass the where you ask at Long Beach. Thank you. God bless you. Thank you. Next speaker, please.
Speaker 2: Good evening, Mayor and council members. My name is Ann Burdette. I'm a member of the Long Beach Sacred Resistance and also the Sanctuary Coalition. Sacred Resistance is a network of dozens of local faith communities that stand firmly in the belief that sanctuary is a sacred and moral act of solidarity with our immigrant neighbors under attack from our federal government. Sanctuary is a historical response to a government which unjustly persecutes members of its own society. Starting with Sojourner Truth and the Underground Railroad to the Sanctuary Church movement in the 1880s, which offered sanctuary to Alaskans.
Speaker 0: Mr. Pete, you can't yell out when someone's talking during the clapping or booing. You cannot yell out when someone's talking. Please, please, please continue.
Speaker 2: Thank you. Sanctuary is an ancient religious practice which precedes and will outlast the policies of this current administration. As a sanctuary network of congregations, we are committed to advocacy, accompaniment and building network networks of protection for immigrant neighbors impacted by detentions, deportations and a broken immigration system. Sanctuary today is an act of decency and moral action in the face of the Trump administration's policies to indiscriminately detain, deport and harm families. It is a necessary action in light of 30 years of congressional inaction to pass immigration reform and adequately address the economic root causes and military pass policies that force people to migrate. We cannot stand idly in the face of bigotry, scapegoating and violations of fundamental human rights by the Department of Justice, Homeland Security and the Trump administration. It is, in fact, ICE, which is violating due process the Constitution and universal human rights. We urge you to vote for the Long Beach Values Act to protect the integrity of our values, families and the very fabric of the common life we share in Long Beach, State and local laws that limit local involvement in painful these deportations. Uphold worker rights for all and challenge the indignity of detention are vital steps to recognizing our common humanity. We denounce the racist and demonizing mischaracterization of immigrant communities, including those who have a past conviction. Those who have passed convictions and have paid their debt to society are now a vital part of our families and communities. We believe in transformation. No one should be separated from their family and deported to a place they hardly know. We call on your leadership to stand firm in Long Beach values and allocate resources to strengthen networks of protection in our city. No amount of political intimidation will deter us or silence our unwavering commitment to defend our values of equality and compassion. Thank you.
Speaker 0: Thank you so much. Thank you. Next speaker, please. My name is Andrew Guy and.
Speaker 4: Probably the less.
Speaker 5: Well known co-chair of the Democratic Socialists of America as Long Beach chapter.
Speaker 0: We worked on the Sanctuary campaign. I'd like to just acknowledge the.
Speaker 5: Work and dedication that everybody else on the Sanctuary campaign put into this proposal. I think it says a lot about the power that ordinary working people have when they come together in solidarity and demand change.
Speaker 0: The Long Beach Values Act, as proposed here tonight, though, while a step in the right.
Speaker 5: Direction is not the same as the one proposed by the Sanctuary campaign.
Speaker 0: As its protections unjustly exclude.
Speaker 5: People with certain criminal convictions.
Speaker 0: I think in discussion, discussing the protections proposed here, it's worth making it plain exactly what we hope to protect people from. Mainstream news articles written over the past year have described parents being dragged.
Speaker 5: Away from their children in handcuffs.
Speaker 0: In front of schools. Mothers and their toddlers separated and imprisoned in detention centers thousands of miles away from each other. Dozens of people shackled to the floor of an airplane for hours, waiting to be sent away to countries ripped apart by war and violence. They tell us about lengthy stays and for profit private prisons with records of unexplained deaths, beatings.
Speaker 5: And charges.
Speaker 0: Of sexual abuse, where people are forced to work for next to nothing under threats of psychological torture and solitary confinement. And they tell us about people whose lives are ruined after they sent away from their families, their friends, their communities, their homes and everything that they know to places they haven't been for decades, where they no longer have any roots or connections forced to try and rebuild their lives from nothing. The Long Beach Values Act, as proposed tonight, says the Long Beach will not help throw anyone into that situation unless that person has made a mistake with the carve outs in this proposal as written. If you've made a mistake in the past, no matter what you've done to remedy it, no matter if you've served your time, if you were born in another country, then your city reserves the right to tip off an ethnic cleansing squad so that they can come and.
Speaker 5: Snatch you off the streets.
Speaker 0: That is all. Ice is dressed up as it may be under the color of law. Ice is the latest in a long history of white supremacist organizations engaged in a campaign of ethnic cleansing and racist terror. Its director, Thomas Homan, has acknowledged as much, telling immigrants, You should look over your shoulder and you need.
Speaker 5: To be worried. Those are our neighbors he is threatening. Those are people in this room.
Speaker 0: Thomas Herman's bosses in our state tonight, the council should take the opportunity to tell them both that in Long Beach, all immigrants can breathe a little easier because we're going to make it hard for them to take any of our neighbors away. Pass a clean act, one that truly reflects Long Beach's values and protects all immigrants with no exceptions. Thank you. Thank you. Speaker, please. Senator. Thank you. Mr.. STEPHANOPOULOS And, sir, Democratic Socialists of America, Long Beach Chapter. Good evening, Mr. Garcia. And congratulate and go to the fundraiser over the weekend with the college fraternity. I'm sure the discussions were very enthralling. I don't know if you had the opportunity to talk with your chief of staff, Mark Taylor, about his experiences at Brandeis University. Our shared, shared college alumni. But one of the privileges of attending that fine institution where there are many opportunities to speak with survivors of the Holocaust, those individuals, perhaps better than anyone in the world, are able to articulate not just the specific warning signs of impending fascism, but the corresponding lesson that such a dissent is not inevitable if those of us on the left unite in opposing forces by any means necessary. Make no mistake, residents of Long Beach are being targeted for forced removal on the basis of their race. National origin and political values right now turn on YouTube any day and you could see ICE actively breaking up families for no discernible or legitimate reason. And this is just the beginning. ICE is detaining witnesses at courthouses. Parents dropping off their children at school and community activists agitating for a better Long Beach. This is an intentional campaign of pro se ethnic cleansing. The pretense of respectability is gone. Trump has appointed explicitly white nationalist ideologues to DHS, ICE and the DOJ. Attorney General Sessions, he of I like the Klan before they found out they smoked weed fame recently claimed the Anglo-American iteration of US policing right before coming to California to denounce sanctuary protections for all residents. What clear sign do you need that ice is the modern Gestapo when deciding whether or not to vote on the right and aligning us with the state bill or providing additional necessary protections for our especially at risk residents. Ask yourself how you expect to justify this vote for generations that will come after you. Will you be able to tell your children or grandchildren that you did everything within your power to stop the fascists looking to destroy our city, or you appease the likes of Trump while he is in our backyard? The survivors who spoke at Brandeis were very clear about the origins of totalitarianism. Racially motivated deportations are one step away from many of us sharing the same character. Join with us and send a clear message to these fascists that they are not welcome in Long Beach. And way to the peel away mail is not worth voting on your conscience. Thank you very much. Next speaker, please. Mr. Pete Amos. Repeat, you need to take. Grab a seat, please, sir. This area is for two speakers. You already spoke, so you can grab a seat. You're welcome to record, but I need you. Grab a seat, please. We've got a lot of speakers, so we just need to clear the area, sir. Okay. Hold out through the room. Say, I cannot, sir. The rule. This area furnished for speakers or for some of that's with the speaker. Mr. C. Mr. Peet, I need you to grab a seat, please. Mr. Senior Attorney, can I be over here? Mr. Peet, I think you should grab a seat. I want to ask if.
Speaker 5: You can take a seat and record from wherever you want to sit. I can't stand. That's correct.
Speaker 0: Okay. Thank you, sir. On 1/2, go grab a seat in the late start. Okay. Okay. Thank you. Yes.
Speaker 2: Honorable Mary Garcia, thank you so much for that. And city council members, city staff and to everyone here. My name is Amy Ericson. I am the lifelong resident of the second District, but I'm also the chair of the Human Relations Commission here, appointed in the city. I would like to share tonight the letter that we have in support from the commissioners of the Lombard Values Act. The Human Relations Commission strongly expresses support for protecting all undocumented immigrants, refugees and Dreamers. We as a commission have witnessed heartbreaking testimonies of our very own undocumented community members who live in fear, particularly mixed status immigrant families with over 26% of our citizens being foreign born. All undocumented immigrants and refugees are part of our community. Neither nationality nor citizenship define a community and it should not be used to divide us. It is crucial to state Long Beach stands with our own immigrant neighbors and to draw a clear line between the roles of the federal Immigration Enforcement Agency and our local agencies. This is about our values. As the city of Long Beach. When our immigrant neighbors are in danger of being deported, we should stand by them instead of having policies that help split up families and drive immigrants underground. We are not confident that the Language Values Act as it is written, demonstrates that we stand by our immigrant communities. This policy perpetuates the narrative of good immigrants versus bad immigrants. This, as individuals with decades old criminal convictions, convictions that they have served time for can be used against them to make a case for deportation. Almost 16,000 Southeast Asian Americans have received deportation orders since 1998. More than 76% of those final orders were based on old criminal convictions, according to Southeast Asian Resources Action Center report released in 2016. Southeast Asian immigrants are the largest community of refugees ever resettled in the United States. And so the issue of deportation is always a looming threat. These deportation orders violate due process and doubly punishes our Cambodian community. If we as a city want to send the message that inclusiveness is one of the core values we build our community on, then we cannot turn our backs on our immigrant communities. As a city with the largest Cambodian population outside of Cambodia, we are in a unique position to implement a policy that provides a sanctuary for all. We call upon you to amend the Values Act so that it strengthens SB 54 and remove the carve outs as stated by the saying Sanctuary Language Coalition. Thank you for all being here.
Speaker 0: Thank you, Sir ERIKSSON. Further.
Speaker 2: We support the creation of a robust $600,000 defense fund to strongly demonstrate that there is a weight behind our words. The purpose and function of the Human Relations Commission is to promote full acceptance of all citizens of the community in all aspects of community life. To recommend to City Council measures, including legislation which will serve to improve positive human relations and the elimination of discriminatory practices, and to enhance and improve mutual understanding and respect for all citizens of the community. It is in this context that the Human Relations Commission submits this recommendation with the hope and vision of Long Beach, where our city continues to embrace values of justice, respect and dignity.
Speaker 0: Thank you. Thank you very much.
Speaker 6: Next week, a police. So.
Speaker 0: Dr. Brown. ALL 1/2, please. So just again, Mr. Pete, you're not allowed to yell during some when someone's speaking, when when someone. No one is yelling when they're speaking. You can you can you can clap. What's the difference in during when someone is speaking? So I've warned you twice now I'm just letting you know you've been warned twice. We're not having a conversation. Just warning you again. Dr. Brown, all your time.
Speaker 2: Thank you. My name is Dr. Lee, and they were a webinar and I am a resident of the fourth District, and I also served on the Human Relations Commission. My address is on file. I want to tell a story of how I became a U.S. citizen. So my father is a Vietnam vet and he served in the US Navy for 20 years. It wasn't until after his service of 20 years that he got his citizenship and my mother had to wait another 20 or so years to and also another seven years of living in this country to get her citizenship. So my my thought is, you know why you know, the folks that say that, you know, oh, just get in line, you know, get a citizenship. It doesn't work that way. Okay. So and also another thing, my thought is growing up, why does it have to take a war to get a citizenship? Why? My dad fought in Vietnam, right? To get his citizenship. So why does it have to take a war? And so with that, in closing, why do we have to continue with a war with ICE and law enforcement and have our immigrant communities be impacted? Please pass a Clean Language Values Act with no carve outs. So that because we are here now and what matters now is what we do right now. Thank you.
Speaker 0: Thank you. Next speaker, please.
Speaker 2: Hi. My name is Zoe Nicholson. I live in the second district. I'm a member of CLU, a proud participant in the Sacred Resistance and a member of the Human Relations Commission. You know, it's Women's History Month. I get up every day and I think it's Women's History Month. I want to talk about women. And so I will. My version of being separated from their children while they're being separated from their husbands, daughters separated from their mothers and grandmothers. And you will hear from many of them tonight, safety, sanctuary, security, family. For women, it's everything new. There are so much suffering here. It is hard to believe we are having this conversation. I don't really believe. I choose to not believe that you want ice to knock down a door and break up a family.
Speaker 0: You don't want.
Speaker 2: To go into the schools, the workplaces, the hospitals and break up a family. Frankly, we never voted to empower you to tear a family apart or to deport good people who are here without family. I want to take a moment and recognize there are wonderful people who have no living family right now. I think this is too much power for any elected for any person in office. But here we are. Families and loving people are exactly what we need here in the USA, now more than ever. It's exactly what we need here in Long Beach. Tonight you can open up your arms and wrap them around this wonderful city and say you are safe here. Creating and sustaining a defense fund is your privilege to vote on that tonight. Way beyond Judy. Honestly, I think that no one should have this unholy right to break up a family. Which is to say that you are gifted by virtue of our vote to hold us close and be champions of a sanctuary. Thank you.
Speaker 0: Thank you. Because the next speaker, please.
Speaker 2: Hello. My name is Alisha SIM and I live and work with.
Speaker 3: Cargos in Action District six.
Speaker 2: I am a 21 year old.
Speaker 3: Cambodian American.
Speaker 2: Full time student and worker. Born and raised in the city of Long Beach. From low income parents with a family of nine kids. Which five of.
Speaker 3: The nine were refugees? My family fled here to escape the Cambodian genocide.
Speaker 2: Living in Long Beach, my family struggles with language.
Speaker 3: Barriers, finances, transportation and health.
Speaker 2: Issues due to the lack of our resettlement support. Both of my parents work as seamstress.
Speaker 3: As a seamstress.
Speaker 2: And struggle every day to make sure they had a roof over our head with our with all the help and financial issues my family faced. My brother made a mistake when he was young and served his time. After integrating into society, he got a life sentence and was detained and deported to a country he isn't familiar with . My brother was born in a refugee camp, raised entirely on Long Beach, and after he was deported, he had to start over in Cambodia with no one there to support him. My mom loving, caring mothers have remained heartbroken. No, my husband is no longer around him. With whom he. For the first few years, my mom has been trying to help my brother by sending him money so he can get back on his feet, even if we didn't have much ourselves. Deportation has broken my family. It caused so much stress financially, physically and emotionally. Deportation affects families and our entire community, not just the individuals who are deported. Our families are suffering and struggling because of our history as refugees and a lack of support. And now we're being sent back. There's this double punishment. I am here today talking, fighting for all families and friends to make sure that the city of Long Beach does not contribute to other families. Experience what my family and I face intergenerational trauma that exists and the time is now to pass a Clean Language Bias Act with protections, including no carve outs for criminal history and a fully funded deportation defense fund. Thank you.
Speaker 0: Thank you so much. Thank you. Next speaker, please. Next speaker, please. My name is Paul Szoke. I work with the Youth Justice Coalition. I work with at risk youth and I do Men Circle and a lot of other things. I also am standing member of ICE out of L.A. so I got in that line of work because when I was 16, I was living here in Long Beach. I've been here. I grew up out here. I was brought here as a child, a refugee, when I was 61 days old. When I was 16, I became parents. I wound up pushed out of school. I wound up in the streets and I wound up in the juvenile justice system only to wind up in prison. And so this is in 1998 and 1999. I don't come home until 2016, only to face deportation. We're talking about nearly 20 years later. So when we talk about violent felons talking about me. And we don't look at the character of who I am today at all. When all you see is immigrant and you want to deport me. You don't see what I do. Good for the community. No, that none of that is in the equation. And that's not valid because many of the folks in my situation now, business owners, maybe gone to school. And lately, because of the work that I do, been fighting my own deportation by myself because I taught myself law. I had to. It was the only way because there was no money to get me an attorney. I don't come from wealthy places. I come from low income, impoverished neighborhoods. A lot of us are in the same boat. But because of that work, I get calls from wives, mothers saying what I do about my son, what I do, what my brother, what I do about my husband. I can't pay the rent this month. They're gone. They're stuck in detention. So when you talk about deportation, you're talking about taking breadwinners. It's all about taking money away from families. So where does the money to support these families going to come from after that? It doesn't come from them. They have to find a different way. All it does is perpetuate the underground economy. That's why I told you where they're going to go, because they have no other means to pay the rent. Right. Same with me. I got in trouble because I made it for myself. There was no resources in the community. Nothing going on. Went to school. They idea. Here's your paper. Turn in your book. Goodbye. That's not a way to deal with the problems. Right. And if we want to punish people by sending them away, that doesn't address the problem, because that's still the case that somebody was hurt, the community was hurt.
Speaker 5: The solutions are in resourcing the community, so those things don't happen to begin with. So that's a real solution.
Speaker 0: But on any note, I just want to say something about people. What human nature? Illegal? Who would Jesus deport, if you want to talk about it from a Christian value perspective? And lastly, there are roughly a thousand people that are in our military, the US military doctor. There's a doctor all across the United States that are nurses, doctors, firefighters, even in some places. It's not about a piece of document. It's about their identity. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker, please.
Speaker 2: I did. Evening Council. My name is Sheila Assi and I'm a lifelong resident of Long Beach, a homeowner in the city's district. And I worked with five year olds in Action, a youth led organization located in the fourth District. And we are a part of the Century Long Beach Coalition. I'm here tonight to urge the council to amend the Long Beach Values Act and pass a policy that is inclusive of the Cambodian community. As proposed, the protections granted by the Long Beach Values Act would not be extended to people with certain past convictions and thereby would not be extended to the majority of the Cambodian community. Vulnerable to deportations. Because of the repatriation agreement between Cambodia and the U.S.. Cambodian refugees, including those with green cards, are vulnerable to deportations for past convictions, even even convictions that, like we heard earlier, are decades old. To pass this policy as proposed, leaving out a segment of the population would perpetuate double punishment and would weaken relationships between our city institutions and the community. CG What's directly with impacted families? And we know that most in most of these cases, these these crimes were committed in the nineties by children from Southeast Asian families who became involved in crimes as a direct result of economic insecurity. Right now, 1900 Cambodians nationwide have deportation orders. A large proportion of those are located in Long Beach, specifically in the forth and city districts. Long Beach right now has the opportunity as the center of the Cambodian diaspora to pass a policy that is a model for inclusivity and one that respected its residents, including the Cambodian community. Thank you.
Speaker 0: Thank you. Speaker, please. Good evening, Mayor Garcia and council members. My name is Alex Montanez and I'm a community organizer with the Filipino Migrant Center of Long Beach, which is in the seventh District. I'd like to thank all of the city council members who brought this important policy to the table, especially the council members who are voting for a clean Long Beach Values Act with no carve outs for community members, with past convictions and protecting all of our Long Beach.
Speaker 5: Undocumented immigrant residents and keeping.
Speaker 0: Their families together. It's the right thing to do. And we thank you for standing with us. But today, I really want to address the need for a fully funded deportation defense fund. There are close to 30,000 Filipinos here in the city of Long Beach, most of them residing in the seventh District or the west side of Long Beach. And every week in our little office on the west side, we receive calls and meet with Long Beach, Filipino residents who seek direct services and.
Speaker 4: Legal aid for any number of reasons.
Speaker 0: Whether it's housing and eviction, domestic violence, wage theft and abuse, human trafficking, or undocumented immigrants and families seeking relief and advice and even experiencing deportation orders. Now, a vast majority of these undocumented Filipinos are low income workers and families. Some work as caregivers for the elderly, grocery and shop workers, and others doing low wage work. But many cannot afford to pay for legal services and an attorney, if they.
Speaker 5: Receive deportation orders.
Speaker 0: Let alone their basic needs like healthy food, rising rent, health care or child care. And unfortunately, what I've seen time to time at the center is that many of our community members have sought help from Notorious, who pose as lawyers or paralegals and scam undocumented clients for hundreds and sometimes even thousands of dollars, leaving them high and dry when they seek help. And many of our clients and community members experience being scammed multiple.
Speaker 5: Times before they met with us.
Speaker 0: So we have to do more not only to protect Long Beach immigrant residents through limiting the sensitive information and cooperation with ICE, but also to make sure that people have the means to legally defend themselves from deportation, especially are undocumented immigrants. So that's why we at the Filipino Migrant Center support a clean Long Beach Values Act with no carve outs for folks who have past convictions. And really fully funding a deportation defense fund with 600,000 or more in public or private funding. We need your leadership here, city council members, and especially for us in the seventh District. We need your help. We need your leadership. Councilman Aranda and I just wanted to give it up to the to the committee members who have something to say. Some of them are lucha oranga escuchar estamos n la lucha. That's mucho estamos em lucha. All right. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Next speaker, please.
Speaker 2: My name just started. My name is Native Tushnet and I live in the third district. I'm addressing the city council tonight on behalf of the Long Beach Area Peace Network, and we urge you to pass a clean Long Beach Values Act. To me, ensuring the safety of immigrants is crucial to preserving the exciting, diverse nature of our community. Equally important, we need to guarantee that our police force will not or anyone will not share information with ICE about any Long Beach resident. A values act that says it's okay to share information about some people does not reflect the needs of the community or our underlying values. For many, the convictions are years old and do not reflect the individual's current status. Since conviction, they have become positive influences in the community. They go to school, they hold jobs. They pay taxes. They raise kids. Crimes committed as teenagers should not be reasons to break up families and hurt lives. I also want to talk about the the the deportation fund. Deportation Protection Fund. I'm going to tell a story that has a little bit of bragging in it. In Michigan, a large number of Chaldean Iraqis were rounded up by ICE for immediate deportation. Most of their crimes were committed over 20 years ago. They have been law abiding citizens since. And we all know that the Chaldean Iraqis will go back and be killed. We have people here who will go back and be killed. And we know that the difference with these people in Michigan is that they had good attorneys. One was my.
Speaker 7: Daughter in law. That's the brag. They now are.
Speaker 2: Out of deportation, the deportation holding. They have full hearings to be held. They will not be deported until they have due process. And that's the importance of having legal assistance. It saves lives, literally saves lives. So I urge you to reject the carve outs. And I also urge you to fully fund the deportation defense fund to protect Long Beach residents from what we all know is ICE overreach. Thank you.
Speaker 0: Thank you so much. Next speaker, please.
Speaker 4: Good evening. My name is Reverend John Forest Douglas, and I'm the associate minister of First Congregational Church in Long Beach. I'm here as a representative also of clergy and laity, United for Economic Justice, which is made up of thousands of lay and ordained faith leaders all around Southern California. So I rise today to ask you to vote yes for a clean Long Beach Values Act without carve outs for criminal history, and to include a legal defense fund throughout the Hebrew and Christian scriptures that people in positions of power are reminded that it's their responsibility to provide radical acts of hospitality to straight to strangers and immigrants in their midst and to provide for the needs of the poor. In the past year, our congregation has been engaged in deep conversations about racism and white privilege, and many of us have committed ourselves to speak out against racism when we see it. Our broken national immigration system is racist. It is deeply rooted in the sin of racism because it excludes people of color from opportunities to pursue safety and dream of a better future. It's racist because it dehumanizes people of color as criminals instead of dignifying them as people created in the image of God. Carving out people with criminal history from our ordinance is another way of degrading people of color who are vulnerable to economic insecurity. Many individuals with criminal history, committed crimes years ago for which they have done their due, have done their time. Mass incarceration and deportation are not ways to make our communities safer or a community that thrives. I'm particularly concerned about the Cambodian community members who are my neighbors in the sixth District, many of whom fled.
Speaker 7: War and.
Speaker 4: Violence in Southeast Asia decades ago and have criminal histories for many years ago. There's no reason to add more trauma of broken families to this community. As a person of faith, I'm not. I am reminded that our most important calling is to figure out how to live faithfully in times when it's hard and times are hard. And so we're called to live with courage, recall to live faithfully. And so I ask you to vote yes on a clean Long Beach Values Act without cutouts. Thank you.
Speaker 0: Thank you very much. Next speaker, please. Thank you very much. Next speaker, please. Thank you. Good evening.
Speaker 2: Mayor Garcia and city council members. My name is Hailey Seawright. I am a resident of the third district, a registered nurse and a graduate student at Cal State Long Beach. And I have had the privilege of working on the Sanctuary Long Beach campaign. I wanted to bring your attention to some of the health impacts immigrant community members struggle with on a daily basis and often compound resulting in latent detrimental health outcomes. Consideration must also be given to their children, many of which are U.S. citizens who also suffer disparate health risks as a result of their position in this minority community . A Human Impact Partners survey found that 36% of immigrant respondents reported poor to Fair Health versus 9.5% of nonimmigrant respondents. And poor self-reported health has a strong association with increased risk of mortality. Food insecurity also disproportionately affects immigrant communities and leads to depression, diabetes, obesity and mental or behavioral problems. In 2015, 3.9 million children were recipients of SNAP benefits, and nearly 86% of these had an immigrant parent. A decline in the use of services has been reported by agencies around the country, with one agency reporting as many as one in five of their cases being closed. Use of medical services has also been impacted, with multiple reports of clinics seeing a decrease in use of services by immigrants out of fear of information sharing or enforcement activities. Children of immigrants are twice as likely to lack health insurance, and immigrant communities are also exposed to traumatic events and experience chronic stress. That manifest says depression, anxiety, headaches, blurred vision, dizziness, insomnia and as attempts of their integration in the larger community. Stress and trauma experiences can be intergenerational, and the children are particularly vulnerable to adverse experiences which have a dose related recent dose related relationship associated with negative health outcomes across the lifespan, leading to increased risk of cancer, miscarriage , heart attack and stroke. These health impacts are amplified amplified by the other determinants of health which they are already facing as a result of their marginalization. I am standing here in solidarity with my with the immigrant community and call on you to pass the clean Long Beach Values Act with no carve outs that allow all Long Beach families to remain unified and lead safe, healthy lives. Thank you.
Speaker 0: Thank you. Next speaker, please.
Speaker 5: Hello, City Council. My name is Jordan Doering. I'm a resident in the Second District and I'm also part of the leadership of the Associated Students at Cal State Long Beach. So I come to you tonight speaking as a resident of Long Beach, but also as a student leader that wants to defend the undocumented people in my 36,000 student body university.
Speaker 0: As a lot of you probably know. A few years ago, Cal.
Speaker 5: State Long Beach Police cooperated with ICE to deport a man named Jose Alvarez that set off a bomb on our campus of grief. And it's was very clear that our campus, our students made it very clear that they do not stand for subjecting undocumented people to double jeopardy where someone could commit.
Speaker 0: A minor crime before.
Speaker 5: I was even born, serve.
Speaker 4: Time, supposedly be rehabilitated.
Speaker 5: And then get deported back to a country they haven't been to in decades because of a speeding ticket. Or in Jose Alvarez's case, because his car broke down.
Speaker 0: If Cal State Long Beach. I should also mention that our campus changed.
Speaker 4: Our policing policies to protect our undocumented students. And what I'm saying is, if Cal State Long Beach can protect.
Speaker 5: Its undocumented folks by changing their policing policies, I think at a minimum, the city of Long Beach can do the same. Please don't fall down where Sacramento did and keep these carve outs in the.
Speaker 0: Long Beach Values Act. The problem with 354 was those.
Speaker 5: Criminal carve outs to begin with. So if we've taken an entire year, as a councilmember pointed out, to get to this point, and then we just pass a city ordinance that doesn't do anything for the criminal prosecution and allows undocumented folks to be deported by ICE. Well, we're also funding a legal fund. We're going to be.
Speaker 0: Paying into a legal fund to defend people that we.
Speaker 5: Deported, which doesn't make any sense to me. So I just want to ask that you protect the students of Long Beach and also that you protect the residents of Long Beach. Please don't make Jeff Sessions.
Speaker 4: Lawsuit any easier. This isn't Trump country. I would ask that you.
Speaker 5: Defend the residents of Long Beach. This is the interest.
Speaker 0: Thank you. Next speaker, please.
Speaker 2: Hello, everyone. My name is Kenny Lara. I'm a junior at Lakewood High School. I'm a resident of District eight and a youth organizer with Captains for Justice. Both of my parents are immigrants. The majority of my family and one of my closest friends are also undocumented. My parents came here in search for a better life and Mexico. My mom was only able to receive an education up to the sixth grade because she was forced to drop out of school and work with her father in order to support her family. She came to the United States, too, but to build a better life for herself. She came in search for the American Dream, just like many other immigrants do when they come here. However, when they get here, they're faced with the constant fear of being deported back to their home countries. These people risked their lives to come to the US to escape the hardships at home, such as war, corruption and poverty. This is why I'm asking for a clean policy without carve outs. The police target marginalized groups and there is no set definition of a serious crime. All people should be given the right to a fair due process. These people are working hard for an honest living. They aren't citizens, and yet they still pay taxes. And these taxes pay for the police salary. So instead of deporting their own people, the police should be protecting them. We should be protecting them. Being an immigrant isn't a crime. They are our own people and they are part of our communities. Being born and raised in Long Beach, all of my neighborhoods I have lived in were full of people of color. I grew up surrounded by undocumented people, and now I live in fear of being deported, of them being deported and being torn from my family and some of my closest friends. And although I am a citizen, I still strikes fear in my heart. So I can't even begin to imagine what undocumented people feel when they hear of ice. A year ago, I heard that ice was raining busses and I take the bus to and from school every single day. So hearing this made me terrified. I didn't even want to go to school. So just hearing about ice was in a way jeopardizing my education, even if it was just for one day. But a lot can happen in a day and so it's scary. So just trying to imagine with all these people feel. So this is why tonight I'm asking for all of you to stand in solidarity with our people and vote for a sanctuary city without exceptions.
Speaker 0: Thank you. Thank you. Mexico. The police. Thank you.
Speaker 2: When I started to throw those mean Mendoza so residents really st optimal informal pastoral parochial individual nurturing. Then obviously their clinical institute in Apollo and recommended immigrant. But I can only say I unless you that tend to you get a much more inclusive in practice personas getting a no record criminal bacchanal that this one that's a one that whatever this one letter said opportunity that particular committee only wrote in to Purcell mesa on Cielo Pego contrasted looking less familiar than ranked Begala's consequences for get Gwendolyn episode nice the patella turner circle of familiar sapphic tantaros aspect us inclusive in an economical most repetition parent I you wouldn't have me into escapism apparently resolution as had been on be on as you that centurion para todos illness incremental accounted elephant this parallel defensor the deportation vacation meal the latest notion sufficient. This is a similar petition he paid you most in minimal anesthesia and those meal dollars for colossal immigrants against which impressed us to memorable our common dream also. Yes.
Speaker 0: Yes, yes, us all. But I must have said the most translation. Okay.
Speaker 2: Good evening, everybody. My name is Elvia Mendoza. I am a resident of the First District and I am a member of the Church Divino Nazarene. I'm also a leader with ICA. I have I'm here to support the immigrant community so the Long Beach can become a sanctuary city. We want this even for those with a criminal record in the past, because everybody deserves a second chance. And why not even a third chance? Immigrants should not have to pay double for a mistake they made in the past, especially if they've already paid with jail. And why should their families pay for their consequences when a person is deported? The family circle is affected in all aspects, including economically. We are petitioning the council members to pass and make Long Beach a sanctuary city for everybody and to increase the defense funds for deportation. 100,000 is not enough, and we're petitioning a minimum of 600,000 because immigrants do pay taxes. So let's see this as a tax refund. Thank you.
Speaker 0: Thank you very much. Next speaker, please. Thank you, sir. Good evening, honorable mayor and city council members. My name is Tiny Nelson Niue and I am a resident in the seventh District. I am a proud member of interfaith community organizations Long Beach, Echo, founder, Project Alpha and Physician Facilitator for the Coalition for Safety and Justice. My story is one of many that have been carved out and continues to be marginalized in the narrative of policies become. Some still see the dichotomy of unworthy versus worthy people who are rehabilitative and able to reintegrate. This whole notion of worthy versus non worthy is an excuse, just as instill fear and to continue to divide. And we Long Beach must have a Clean Values Act period. Being formerly incarcerated with multiple serious offenses, my past has brought about 49,000 collateral consequences, and I firsthand endure these policies with carve outs. But today, I am committed to ensuring that every person is valued and embraced regardless of our past. My best friend and sister has been a part of my transformation for the past 18 years. She is transgendered. She is an immigrant and with a past history of 12 felonies. She and I both have endured the demoralizing and incomprehensible behind bars should it continue out here in the community? Within our addiction, I can only fathom what they do if they were in the hands of ice. We're both clean, living and thriving in our communities. Despite our path tonight, she had hesitations and she still lives in fear. I am not. I speak for the both of us. I would do anything for her. She is my family. She has been an integral part of my rehabilitation. She is my sister. She will always be my family. I dare not think again what would ever happen if she were in the hands of ice? The conditions are deplorable, inhumane. Today, I know that I have intentionally walked in every single one of your districts. We both have volunteered in every single one of your districts. And there is this love that we receive from your district members and even from some of you that continue to make us thrive and live and keep continuing to thrive and strive in our communities. This is the opportunity this Long Beach Values Act needs to be with our carve out and to see us now as collateral and to be part of this beautiful, diverse city where we have invested in the justice lab for the formerly incarcerated. Today, we need a Clean Values Act. Period. Roberto Council members, please pass a Clean Values Act. Thank you very much.
Speaker 6: Thank you. Let's look at this. Thank you.
Speaker 0: Next speaker, please. Thank you.
Speaker 2: Good evening.
Speaker 0: Okay. You know, Mr. Pete, you cannot keep talking when people are speaking like now. No one else is talking to the people who are speaking. So now I've now warned you three times. I mean, just for the record. Yes, please.
Speaker 2: Good evening, council members. My name is Patty Diaz. I'm a board member of the Long Beach Interfaith Community District eight. I'm looking at District eight and whom has an organization who has always been committed to protect immigrants and their families, especially with the current Trump administration. It has definitely become a top priority. With that being said, we have created Media Watch, a hotline of volunteers that provides them with approximately eight dispatchers, 50 rapid responders, their guides and supports them when facing ICE raids, which are happening a lot. By the way, one of my biggest concerns is legal representation. We appreciate you putting your toes in the water with this sanctuary and sanctuary ordinance, one which values act of $100,000. However, what we are asking is that you jump into the water with us. We believe 600,000 will say to our Long Beach immigrant community that you are committed and all the way in it with us as a faith based organization. All of our religious traditions believe and stand for second chances being essential. Furthermore, another concern is a carve out picking and choosing who is disturbing and who is not. Isn't there a legal justice system already in place? If so, then why should our community members be punished twice for the same mistake or the offense? If you want to call it that, we some of you may remember who say Alvarez case, a family man deported for a broke until late. Many of you publicly supported his return. However, Mr. Alvarez would not have been included in this proposed defense fund. These cases are complicated and many, too many to count. Therefore, they need legal representation because a city filled with immigrants and need your support in dealing with unjust immigration policies. We hope you take a stand and walk this journey with us in making Long Beach a sanctuary city and definitely raising our fund for the immigration community. Thank you.
Speaker 6: Thank you. Next picture, please.
Speaker 2: Good evening. My name is Swimming Chair and I'm a senior staff attorney with the National Immigration Law Center. And like many of the people here, I stand before you to really urge you to pass a clean Long Beach Values Act. The city should not cave in to any kind of bullying or intimidation by the federal government either. We know that Sessions and Trump are going after jurisdictions that they consider to be sanctuary jurisdictions, and many places are standing strong. Not only is our governor and attorney general of California standing strong, we've also seen recently across the country places continue to pass strong measures. So just two weeks ago, King County, Washington, passed a sanctuary ordinance that has no carve outs. That includes no carve outs in terms of who they notify around notifying ice about people's release dates and no carve outs in terms of transferring people to ice. So I urge Long Beach to do something like that. This should be a race to the top, not to the bottom. We should all be in competition to have the strongest policy possible and not just count on SB 54 to do everything because it has its limitations. SB 54 was a compromise bill that factored in more conservative areas of California. Well, here in Long Beach, which, as you well know, is an extremely diverse place. It's a very progressive city. And so we should be doing better. I also wanted to share that I was formerly on the Board of Committee Growth and Action, and I had many Cambodian clients here in Long Beach who are facing deportation. And you've heard firsthand some of the very painful personal stories of that experience. And I also wanted to reemphasize that that, unfortunately, is all too common. I saw many of my young clients get caught up in overpolicing, the overcriminalization of youth and of people of color in the nineties and early 2000s. They were pushed into surviving by joining groups of people for self-defense, which are then labeled gangs. They were then put into the criminal justice system and forced to take plea bargains many times. This was a time, too, when people were not informed of the immigration consequences of pleading guilty to criminal convictions. So many people took guilty pleas not knowing that this will lead to their automatic deportation. And when they got in front of an immigration judge, often they were unrepresented or they faced the pressures of being in detention and decided to take a deportation order in order to get out as quickly as possible. So those people I knew who are lucky enough to win their case and get out of detention, they've come back into the community. They've gotten married, they've had children. One of them just recently opened up a cell phone business here in Long Beach. So this is what's possible if we give people a second chance. And therefore, I want to urge you again, please pass a Clean Values Act and do not have any carve outs for people. Thank you.
Speaker 0: Thank you. Next speaker, please. Thank you.
Speaker 2: Hello, everyone. I'm Bernice Osorio, and I'm a lawyer. I came to the U.S. to study a masters of law at UCLA. I was born and raised in Mexico City, as well as my whole family. However, since the day that I arrived here, I couldn't avoid feeling empathetic and identified with the people establishing California who shared my same roots. I believe that the only way that people can take action is to speak out through their use of the law. That's why. Grant Currently, I'm also part of the UCLA immigrants rights policy, and we are working together with the Long Beach Centauri Coalition. So here we are today in order to support this century Long Beach Coalition to speak on behalf of the immigrant community against carve outs for notification and transfer requests to ICE. These carve outs suggest ongoing collaboration with immigration enforcement on the fullest extent. They lead to a mistaken perception of immigrants as undesirable. Exercising control over certain groups of immigrants creates an oppressive environment that turns intolerable. This situation also generates racism, discrimination that turns into a social disintegration. Families are the foundation of a strong society and DNA part A home is not the way to build a united community. Assisting immigration enforcement simplifies ice school or deporting undocumented immigrants efficiently. As a result, the immigrant community becomes an easy target for a violation of civil and human rights. So that's the reason why we ask for a clean Long Beach values ordinance without carve outs. Because immigrants make an important contribution to the country and because this is an opportunity to extend to them the protections that they deserve. Also, we ask for a Clean Values Act with no carve outs because it will offer harmony and acceptance to everyone in the community. Thank you.
Speaker 0: Thank you for your testimony. Next speaker, please.
Speaker 2: Oh. Well, I start this and I'm going to ask how America is so little. I go viral and after a love me, they look what tragic loss all of the U.S. has become as an audience. I mean, I'm in Gaza and Muslim enterprise in the middle and so follows those two systems. But those pile up of similar deportation. We see Hillary will go near no extra silos. But let's start with Alaska, Walla Walla Walla. Just I mean, if we look at the members of Plan A, we see a lot of instability and really stress for our society. So until I see the media, Estabrook Studios see that I'm in Gaza. So whether you get to or through Solaris and I am most careful in front of my local LA Policia opponents, you know, and then I just in the almost when I caught it. But I'm asymptomatic and you're welcome. A policia necesita. But you're still up by know I look for the Jacksonville Annapolis here in any attempt. Yes, I get they know the man they were there but it could upset Pakeha by that also. Rhodes your legs La Sudan. I can know that you know, stress, gas us and also sky yes Burleigh that women but the potassium is primarily la policia. Well, what I see I'm going nice is I lost my mother. The family can access. My name is America and I am a leader of ICA. I live in North Long Beach and I have four children. One of them is a Dhaka recipient. A few days ago, ice came to my house and since that day, my whole family lives in fear and we are prepared for a possible deportation . My children live in fear and stress in the afternoons when I pick them up from school and if I arrive late, they fear that I have been deported. My children should not be subjected to this stressful situation. They are citizens of this country and the only concern they should have should be for their education. If I could come to my house, I'm sure they'll be able to go to yours as well. We believe that they were informed by their police or a neighbor since we have a court case. It is important to me to be able to trust the police when I need them. But if they are going to support ICE, I can trust them. Any immigrant, whether they have a criminal record or not, should be able to stay since they've already paid their debt. I understand that the city cannot tell ICE to leave our streets, but they can prevent deportation by prohibiting the police from collaborating with ICE. Thank you.
Speaker 0: Thank you for your testimony. Next speaker, please. Thank you, Mayor Garcia. Council members.
Speaker 5: I'd also like to thank the tangle of people on whose land we are gathered. My name is Joe Berra. I'm clinical faculty at UCLA Law School. I directed the Immigrant Rights Policy Clinic. We've had the privilege this semester of working with the Long.
Speaker 0: Beach Sanctuary Coalition, whose initiative to expand the California Values Act here in Long.
Speaker 5: Beach and supported by valiant council members.
Speaker 0: Who support this initiative, seek to expand that in the Long Beach.
Speaker 5: Values Act, and I commend the Sanctuary Coalition and the privilege to.
Speaker 0: Work with them. I'd like to address first any concerns about the legality of either the California Values.
Speaker 5: Act or the Long Beach Values Act, given the recent lawsuit filed by Attorney General Sessions.
Speaker 0: I don't want this to be a constitutional class, but we all are aware that the Constitution defines our federal system, and the 10th Amendment specifically protects states and local government from the federal government's attempts to intrude on local sovereignty and to commandeer local government.
Speaker 5: Resources and authority.
Speaker 0: Similarly, there are certain fields of law, and specifically immigration law, which are the sole authority of the federal government. And so local law enforcement has no role in immigration enforcement unless allowed for or delegated by the federal government. But by the same token, and at the same time, the federal government cannot force or commandeer local law enforcement to.
Speaker 5: Assist the federal immigration enforcement.
Speaker 0: And so I can say, along with over 100 law professors who wrote a letter to Governor Brown.
Speaker 5: On this issue.
Speaker 0: The California Values Act, and by extension, a clean Long Beach Values Act does not violate the.
Speaker 5: Law and that lawsuit will not prevail.
Speaker 0: I do come here to speak in favor of a clean Long Beach Values Act without any carve outs. It's not only good law, it's good policy. What is the role of state and local government.
Speaker 5: With respect to our immigrant.
Speaker 0: Community? I would argue that it is integration and not removal. Removal has been a sad part.
Speaker 5: Of our history.
Speaker 0: And it's affected. State and local actors have been involved in.
Speaker 5: Removal since the beginning of our history.
Speaker 0: The farmers and settlers in Georgia pushed the federal government to remove Native Americans. Legislatures in Mississippi and Louisiana passed Jim Crow laws to remove African-Americans to the north. Businessmen in San Francisco pushed the federal government to.
Speaker 5: Remove Chinese and the Chinese Exclusion.
Speaker 0: Act. We should be about integration and not removal. The carve outs have nothing to do with criminal justice. They have only to do with removal.
Speaker 5: And therefore, I ask you for a clean Long Beach Values Act with no carve out.
Speaker 0: Thank you. I expect the please.
Speaker 5: The the professor made a good note. I was just thinking.
Speaker 0: So my name is and I can.
Speaker 5: Say from sixth district, the professor he is.
Speaker 0: He reminded me, is crazy.
Speaker 5: You know, this country has had a long history of being a century. You know, our one point there was boats of rapists and murderers and thieves and they allowed them to settle in. And that became the state of Georgia, you know, for a fact. Excuse me, sir. Excuse me, sir. He had three warnings of four others and he says, let.
Speaker 0: Me do what I got to do now. You can do what you gotta do. I'm here. I'm here to represent.
Speaker 5: You know, a part of the story that isn't really you don't see as much today. You know, my father is an immigrant from the war torn country, destroyed by as many people in this room, completely destroyed by American imperialism.
Speaker 0: My father grew up in Ethiopia.
Speaker 5: You know, so most of his childhood was spent dodging American bombs, American missiles, American tanks, American mortars. And after, you know, this country spent the seventies and eighties destroying my father's country, he had the great opportunity of being able to come here. He met my mother here.
Speaker 0: I you know.
Speaker 5: Unfortunately, he came in 87, 86, the last Republican president at the time, Mr. Reagan, he was actually the last person to pass amnesty law. So because my father came a year late after his refugee status was expired, because what was once an American enemy became an American ally, he was suddenly an undocumented immigrant, as many people are in his country. You know, borders changed and laws change, and what was legal becomes illegal and vice versa. And its impact on my family, specifically my older cousins, an older cousin of mine who was in his teen years, you know, arrested with possession of a narcotics marijuana. Years later, he was deported and sent back to Ethiopia, where he unfortunately was conscripted into the military and died fighting in a war. And that's an unfortunate case for a lot of Cambodians. I know as well as the Salvadoran people. I grew up here who get sent back to war torn countries or countries with regimes that don't necessarily like the people who are coming back and they have to face the consequences. So the idea that being born here and, you know, the travesties of growing up here, you should have to be affected by it later is is a travesty. So I don't believe in the carve out.
Speaker 0: Thank you.
Speaker 5: Thank you.
Speaker 0: Thank you. Madam Speaker, please. Hello. My name is Myron Wolin. I am the president of the Long Beach Gray Panthers. I am also a member of CLU, Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice and a proud member of Migrant Watch, which you've just been told about. I want to compliment the Council for just for taking up the issue and going as far as you have in going for a Long Beach Values Act. If you were to be commended for that. However, you need to reconsider. No carve out. You need to go beyond what you've talked about now and think about what it means. Think about the stories you've heard and how it affects the people of Long Beach. Now, I want to tell you a little something about my history and why I am in favor of a Long Beach Values Act with no carve outs. Mike. I am the son of immigrants, as many of you are. My mother came here when she was three months old from England. My father came here from Poland before 1924. He was escaping a anti-Semitic environment. He was coming here to better himself economically. Now, why do I keep saying 1924, 1924 was when our country first limited immigration aside from the Chinese Exclusion Act. But for everyone else in the country, in the world, it became an exclusionary policy of immigration prior to 1924. Anybody could come here to this country. And that's why my father was able to come here. And that's why my mother was able to come here. And that's why many people many white people are here because they came here before 1924. In 1924 was a racist law. It said that the immigration policy should be based on the what the census was in 1890. Why did they choose 1890? Because after 1890, many of my people came here to this country. Many of the southern Europeans came here to this country. And many of the Eastern Europeans came here in this country. The history of immigration in this country is a history of racism. It's a history of trying to deny this country to do to have its citizens. That's why I'm saying, although I wouldn't say that if you vote for exclusionary thing, you're necessarily racist. But consider the fact that there is racism in this country. We have a country that talks about shithole countries. And what is that part of? It's part of a racist philosophy. Thank you. Thank you for your time. I speak. Thank you. Next speaker, please. Yeah. Chuck Brewer, first district. I'll give you a little history for 25 years. I ran a staffing company. We grew to 600 locations around the country. During that time, we had a creative was everyone who was colorblind. So where I grew up, I grew up in Chicago and I understand racism. What I'm going to tell you right now, I've also watched in my 65 years a lot of that dissolve. And we are a nation that is evolving. Yes, we are. So with that being said, I would just like to say, oh, by the way, I have I had family that fought in the Civil War for the North. I had family that fought a war to. I family fought the war of 1812, but they were for the Canadians didn't what the Americans have come over the border. So let's go to a real simple thing here. I am very empathetic to every one of the stories told here today. I know what it's like to put a paycheck in someone's hands and give them economic opportunity. But our company that we grew to $1,000,000,000 sales, over 600 locations was subject to be fined for breaking immigration hiring laws. So we went to verification where other didn't just so we would not be fined. So I say to you here, I believe that there are a lot of fine, but we moved to the city because it's culturally diverse. Not Irvine, Long Beach. And I've been here for over 40 years. Longer than that, actually. So I say to Patrick West, to our city attorney, to you all. Don't be the cool city. Be the city that does not break the laws but changes the laws. The laws need to be changed through lobbyists. They need to be changed through our states. We we all who have the privilege to vote, have the opportunity to put people in the representation to change the law by us as a city. Breaking the law. That is wrong. Should we and our last city attorney allow anyone to go through a red light this week to be in sanctuary if I don't pay my taxes ? Do I get a sanctuary from the city because I don't like to pay my taxes? I pay them because it's part of my responsibility. So I say to you, yes, we need change, but it needs to be done legally. Don't be just the cool city. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Next speaker, please. Would you mind grabbing the mic for. We can hear you. That would be great. Thank you. So there we go. There you go.
Speaker 2: My name is Senior Year. Why you? I'm nine years old and my dad died in in Mexico a few years ago when I was drinking a lot. The only family I have is my mom. And I went to see there that my mom came from Mexico and headed to California. And I didn't want to say that and that I don't want those people, most people to take away my mom because the only family I have is my mom. Thank you.
Speaker 0: Thank you so much. Thank you.
Speaker 2: Hi. My name is Melissa Gomez. I am 15 and I am a member of Saint Athanasius Church and I call and to start this off, I want to say I am proud to be part of the Hispanic community. And we all know my parents came to the United States for a better life, only they know why they left their home, their hometown, and and then sending them back is is unfair because only they know why they left. And they came here to give out to get a better life, to give my brothers and sisters a better life. And we we all know at least one or more families that don't have papers are immigrants. They keep they all came here for a reason. They all should have oh, they should all have the rights to be here, live freely, to live without fear. Because I know at least I know many families with that with are immigrants live in fear and I don't want that. I was born here. I'm a citizen. But yet it hurts me to know, to see those families being deported because I may not be related to them by blood, but I am related to them through God because I am. And the way they they're separating their families, their children, kids my age, younger than me. And it hurts me seeing that a hearing about stories, how they've been deported, how some of them don't have parents, no family. And that is just very devastating. I hope you guys support and to protect the immigrants. Thank you.
Speaker 0: Thank you so much. Mexico police.
Speaker 2: Good evening, City Council Mayor Anna Kristensen, member of the Long Beach Area Peace Network, and Negro Watch Negro, which has these little yellow cards. And they have information that we like everybody to have. And one of the problems is that people are afraid to even call Negro white.
Speaker 0: That's how fearful people are.
Speaker 2: They are not they don't even know how to call for the people.
Speaker 0: Who who.
Speaker 2: Want to help them and to stop what is an illegal act, a violation of our Constitution, and certainly an immoral act. Now, years ago.
Speaker 0: There was a.
Speaker 2: Woman who said in front of the city council, all us media. Well, all of a sudden here tonight, you will make history. You will make.
Speaker 0: History. You will either vote for or.
Speaker 2: Against inclusiveness and justice for all people. You will make a law. Even if it's just an ordinance, you will make a decision. Do you ever Wonder Woman, if you had had the opportunity to make that decision, to round up Japanese people who are born here, including infants who were in orphanages and take them away from their families and shipped them somewhere. Do you ever wonder what if it had been your call?
Speaker 0: What if you had been Andrew Jackson, the president, who.
Speaker 2: Decided to remove indigenous.
Speaker 0: People from their homes? It's not about.
Speaker 2: Immigrants. It's about.
Speaker 0: Responsibility.
Speaker 2: It's about justice. And we all we all have that power. Jeff Sessions, you know, he didn't.
Speaker 0: Follow the law when.
Speaker 2: He was a state attorney general. His school, the state, the schools in his state were the last to integrate. He didn't.
Speaker 0: Follow federal.
Speaker 2: Law. Now he wants to come over here and check his idea of federal law down our throats, but we don't have to take that. And speaking of laws, the first immigrant from Europe was a guy named Christopher Columbus, and he had a on his side.
Speaker 0: It was called The Doctrine.
Speaker 2: Of Christian Discovery, came out of the Catholic Church, and it said that any Christian could go where there was a non-Christian and could take everything the land, the people, the kids, everything. And that law was the basis for the decision to remove the Cherokees.
Speaker 0: That law is.
Speaker 2: Part. It's woven into. United States are so bad.
Speaker 0: Laws are always with us.
Speaker 2: And should we fear a man who smoked marijuana 20 years ago or should.
Speaker 0: We fear.
Speaker 2: A.
Speaker 0: Bad law that separates a mother and her child, just like this mother who.
Speaker 2: Just came from a sanctuary.
Speaker 0: To our border.
Speaker 2: This week in the L.A. Times and is now even though she never crossed.
Speaker 0: The border, she ask for sanctuary.
Speaker 2: And she is in.
Speaker 0: Lockup and somebody is.
Speaker 2: Making money.
Speaker 0: Off of that.
Speaker 2: Private prison.
Speaker 0: And her daughter's in Chicago. Her 11 year old daughter.
Speaker 2: When you go home tonight, hug your kids, hold your kids and understand that nothing is safe here.
Speaker 0: Thank you so much.
Speaker 2: Man the model minority. And the next minute you're a terrorist.
Speaker 0: Thank you, Miss Richardson. Next week, a this. Thank you.
Speaker 2: Please. Good afternoon. My name is Jackie Mendoza. 14 year old my brother got deported to Mexico. He he he came here when he was four years old and got deported. I have another brother and he is also in danger of getting deported. I am scared that my brother and my mother get deported and I would literally give up anything. So my brother is here because I never know when like if anything happened to him. And yeah, that's pretty much it. Thank you.
Speaker 0: Thank you so much. Next speaker, please.
Speaker 2: But not only not Rosemary Antoniou being a global icon. Good afternoon. My name is Maria Antonia and I am from the group I call La Nina. Capaci is Mika a song alternative to Nina's? The young girl just spoke is my daughter. I am a single parent of three children. I'm the owner of a portable. My son was deported. It's the oil that they need and love attention. They the land to the eye they could not see then they don't. He was detain a deal until were he suffer an accident and he had to have surgery? Yes. Like almost all parallel asylum under 91. And right after surgery, he was sent to Tijuana. You'll be okay. But a lot of mamas get their normal six months report for our political reporter Cialis. I beg you, in behalf of all the other mothers to please stop. Deportation is needed is the better MCAT. And yes, it is not dangerous what Romano called Cornelia. It is very sad to see how my daughter feels when she has. She does not have her brother with her. Esther is dead north and if Caravaggio inattentive kidnaped boy, you better make work get the now but I give up Oh yeah yeah no it is very sad to not have a job did not have anyone to support me My son who was deported was the one who supported us . Our aid is in control and pays better say get us to work. It is a lot worth running of. So he is now in the country that he was born in, but he does not know the country because he came here at four years old. Yet without this period of our work. Give me an hour to look up Pasando. There are a lot of policy. They look familiar. And I am here asking you to look around and look at what's going on with all the deportations and military. Is David Gallo familia temporada you still cannot boyo, but we had a some of my mom's attorneys get the in and there's none of that. They need us. Simple story enough for you. It's very, very sad to see what's going on with the deportations. I am here in support of all the parents with everything that is going on. There are almost three stories, though. It's going to be Puerto Rico, Miguel. No. But the saddest thing of everything is the fact that my son is now here and that I'm not going to have him here with me forever. Liz Behar put her work in La Policia so you can look into all I'm thinking is what does that mean? I really want to look in ways, but I'm asking you please. I'm asking you to help so that the police now cooperate and as well with all the racist people who are acting like this. Or if we kill my Nancy, I will get a little special because I'm lucky. All because none of what I eat equal are separate. This is for millions, but far more than a consideration that almost others. Today I am here, separated from my family. But it could be anyone else on a different day. Please help us. Get us started. Thank you very much.
Speaker 0: Let's listen up. Next speaker, please.
Speaker 2: Hello. My name is Andrea Galicia, and I'm a UCLA law student. I am one of the founding founders of the First Generation Law Students Association at UCLA, which is a group to support students who are the first in their family to go to college. I come from an immigrant family and the cities that we will be allowed to visit out of as a child, depending on how immigrant friendly they were. My family perceive Long Beach to be diverse and welcoming community and would often work as parking attendants here in order to help people enjoy the holiday events like the 4th of July that the Long Beach community would hold. And Long Beach should create a publicly funded universal representation program because immigration, deportation and detention harm communities and burdens the city. Immigrants contribute to the public funds, and they're part of the public. The deportation or detention of someone who provided the soul or big financial support for a family harm to their family. These families will have to turn to more public assistance. Almost half of all Californian children have at least one immigrant parent, meaning many families are in danger of being broken apart and having a child put into state custody if their parent is deported or detained. Even those who are not in state state custody suffer long term health consequences that lead to poor education and inability to lower earnings. The state bears additional costs in assisting these traumatized children for years. Even employers suffer with the turnover cost of all these lost workers. So it is the therefore, it is more cost effective to develop a legal representation program for detained immigrants. And it is both physically and morally necessary for Long Beach to defend its residents from the detention and deportation. California immigrants who had legal counsel in their immigration cases succeeded more than five times, much more than did their unrepresented counterparts. This means we have the opportunity to keep families that contribute to the Long Beach community together by providing them this representation. Thank you.
Speaker 0: Thank you so much. Next speaker, please.
Speaker 2: Good evening. My name is Katrina Landecker and I am a director.
Speaker 3: Of the UCLA Law Students for Immigrant.
Speaker 2: Justice, and I'm also a student in the UCLA law Immigrants Rights Policy Clinic, working to advance policies to protect immigrants in L.A. and around the country. I'm here today with a Long Beach sanctuary coalition to call for the removal of carve outs of certain people from protections under the Long Beach Values Act. Excluding community members who have some prior criminal conviction from the Long Beach Values Act is inconsistent with the Council's stated commitment to the equal, respectful and dignified treatment of all people and excluding community members. The Council enables the Trump administration to carry out its mass deportation of so-called bad immigrants by handing them over to ICE. The city should not reinforce Trump's rhetoric of separating the community into good and bad immigrants and helping separate families in the process. Our communities of color are already overpoliced, and allowing those with criminal backgrounds to be transferred to ICE will only further entrench the systemic injustices in the criminal justice system. While Trump has gone so far as to sue California for its protective policies. The lawsuit is baseless and only serves to underscore the need for local leadership to stand up for our immigrant communities. The constitutionality of SB 54 has been well-established, given that the federal government cannot commandeer local resources to enforce federal law. The lawsuit is simply another attempt by the Trump administration to instill fear in our communities and to bully states and localities into cooperating with its mass deportation agenda. I urge you to resist this scare tactic and to stand strong to protect the entire Long Beach community.
Speaker 0: Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker, please. Good evening. Good evening to you. My name is Ideas. I am sent to be a see as UAB graduate in political science and a member of the Board of the Future Underrepresented Educated Leaders Club on campus, better known as Fuel. I am here to request that the Council consider what it would mean for the Long Beach Values Act to be passed. This is not simply another day at work or another policy to vote up or vote down, or another opportunity to pretend the city government and its different branches care about the will of the people as an undocumented sea, as your student. Knowing that no city ordinance or protection from the federal government, specifically from its ICE agency, is currently in place, adds unnecessary stress, worry and anxiety. The thought that I could be taken away from this place I call my home haunts me daily like that. Hi, Bill. That's due soon. Or like an upcoming exam which can make or break my future. Or like being aware that I don't know where my next meal will come from. That kind of worry, that kind of continuous and draining reality that on top of ordinary things like school, work, friends and activism. I must also include in my agenda waste to prevent myself from being deported. This includes assuring my car is in top shape and not exposing myself by simply going out or going to school or participating in volunteer efforts or the many other activities where I question if I should be involved. If it's safe, as stated here earlier. Sometimes our dream can come to an end by simply being present at the wrong place and the wrong time. And so, again, I ask you to consider your position. You have the power to provide some protection, which will alleviate some of the daily stress, fear and heartbreak caused by deportation. I especially urge you, Susie Price, to consider how your vote will help or harm students and other members of the Third District and Long Beach as a whole. Waiting on the federal government isn't an option. Thinking this issue is not a priority isn't an option. Therefore, passing a clean Long Beach Value Act is the only option. The Value Act will provide much needed protections and inclusion for the many undocumented Americans like myself. Thank you. We are the change. Thank you very much. Next week, the first.
Speaker 2: Hi.
Speaker 3: My name is Caitlin Bellis, and I'm an attorney with Public Counsel, a nonprofit organization in Los Angeles. We're a member of the Los Angeles Coalition for Universal Representation, and we're a grantee under the L.A. Justice Fund. I'm here to urge the council to create and robustly fund its own Universal Representation Fund.
Speaker 2: In my work, I go weekly to the Theo Lacey.
Speaker 3: Facility and the music facility, both in Orange County. My experience at these facilities, as well as at the Adelanto Detention Center, have shown me the immediate and overwhelming need for counsel. The L.A. Justice Fund is an important first step, but does not come close to meeting this need.
Speaker 2: There are nearly 2000.
Speaker 3: People detained in Adelanto and hundreds more detained in Orange County. Every time my colleague who works under the L.A. Justice Fund conducts an intake, the person he meets with inevitably brings a list of the many others detained. They're all desperate to meet with him and all desperate for counsel.
Speaker 2: When I conduct.
Speaker 3: The legal orientation program at the music facility every month, I likewise meet with dozens of detainees desperate for legal help. I also know from our experience in building our L.A. Justice Fund program that building these programs takes time. It's imperative that Long Beach quickly and completely fund a universal representation program. Additionally, in making the program truly universal.
Speaker 2: Long Beach would.
Speaker 3: Become a leader. A truly universal program is better than the L.A. Justice Fund, both on principle and in policy. It is an acknowledgment that the system is unjust.
Speaker 2: Rather than a.
Speaker 3: Judgment about who among us deserves justice.
Speaker 2: The Council should likewise acknowledge that all the city's.
Speaker 3: Residents deserve protection from ICE's devastations and reject all carve outs. No one should face imprisonment and exile, and certainly no one should face them without a lawyer. Universal representation is also more efficient and will ensure that more people can be represented.
Speaker 2: We need Long Beach to.
Speaker 3: Lead the field and to contribute now to the protection of our families, friends and community members. Thank you.
Speaker 0: Thank you. Next speaker, please. Hello. My name is Cameron Tabler and I'm with Clear Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice. Though he couldn't be here tonight, Reverend Leon, Reverend Leon Wood would.
Speaker 5: Like to have you speak on his behalf.
Speaker 0: Tonight. All over this nation and our local communities, men, women and children are suffering from mental depression, causing both physical and mental pain. This pain and suffering is being caused by a nation's leadership that is regressed to the times most of us thought had passed. America is returning to its racist roots, which manifested itself by the oppression and enslavement of people of color. We must not deceive ourselves. This nation has oppressed, enslaved and abused people of color for over 500 years. This must stop. It's my hope and pray that the citizens of Long Beach will stand united and ending these oppressive actions by the federal government and targeting our brothers and.
Speaker 4: Sisters.
Speaker 0: Who came here seeking safety and opportunity for themselves and their families. America is a land of immigrants. This nation has used immigrants for its growth and development for over 500 years. The problem with that is the development has abused millions of people of color in order to reach those materialistic goals. Mother Teresa expressed it best when she said There are many sorrows in today's world, these sorrows, hunger, dislodging all kinds of illnesses. Yet I am convinced of the greatest of all sorrows, is to feel alone, to feel feeling one, too deprived of all affection. It consists in not having anyone, maybe all the.
Speaker 5: Instruments of peace, of love and of compassion.
Speaker 0: Long Beach. Please show love and compassion to our immigrant brothers and sisters. Let's give them a chance to help the nation become worthy of the reputation it attempts to sell to the world. Please, Pax, a sanctuary ordinance for all immigrants without carve outs. Please, let's support the immigrant brothers and sisters in every way possible. Thank you. Provide me with this opportunity to express my concern. Thank you, counsel. Thank you. Next speaker, please. Hi. My name is Rabbi Jonathan Klein. I'm the executive director of Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice. And I'm so grateful to have Pastor Wood making that statement, which he shared with me, really wanting to make the point that it is time for action here in this community. And he's a long standing member of this community. You can't put can't please society, can one, can't police society with this trust. If ICE has the access they seek, why on earth would anyone ever report a crime knowing that it can result in deportation of friends and family? It's a simple fact. And how does inaction impact the most vulnerable in our community? Among the immigrants, the homeless immigrants, the people who are on the streets? Why are there only two opponents to this policy speaking here? Either they're just embarrassed or perhaps it's because people of conscience, mostly most of Long Beach, they know that this policy is a necessary step and critical to shifting the culture to one of compassion for the most vulnerable. The Bible identifies the most vulnerable the widow, the orphan, the immigrant. My people, the Jewish people. Less than a century ago were commonly known as wandering Jews, expelled from England and Germany and Spain and so many other places. That is the policy of this ungodly disgusting president who has no commitment to anyone but himself. No one should be harassed and forcibly deported by the state. It's a human right to live without such interference, no matter our long journey along the way, whether we have been jailed or not. And this session sued. Is an incendiary device meant to ignite fear and to derail our forward march in history, which we've been doing pretty well in this state. It has no merits. It's a last gasp in a state solidly opposed to the Trump administration's heartless, not even conservative, just ultra nationalist agenda. It should be the last thing on your minds, as it was the last thing on the minds of California when it passed SB 54, the California Values Act, as it was when Santa Ana and other cities passed their own sanctuary ordinances, as it was when Los Angeles passed the L.A. Justice Fund, including Supervisor Janice Hahn. The fund is life and Death, one of the best investments in the community based on results. What has Long Beach done to protect our immigrant communities? Today is that blessed day. You can take action and you can make a difference in the lives. Thank you so much. Thank you. And this man should be removed. Thank you very much. Next speaker, please. Next speaker, please. Good evening, Mayor Garcia and council members. My name is Zack Mohammed and I'm an organizer with the Black Alliance for Just Immigration and a member of ICE out of L.A.. I'm here to urge support of a clean Long Beach Values Act with no carve outs. That is counterproductive to the white supremacy that is separating and disproportionally impacting all migrants, people of color, vulnerable and marginalized community. Black migrants are a growing share of the population in California. Currently, there are about 177,000 black migrants in the state, while Los Angeles County and Orange County cluster have the largest overall numbers of black migrants with 71,000. We have to understand the realities of four black migrants as we are racially profiled for being black and having to be impacted with immigration policies. Since 30% of all black migrants in California are green card holders or LPR legal permanent resident and 16% of black people in the state of California black migrants being undocumented. Undocumented communities are definitely impacted at stark rates than all migrants. But understanding that immigration policies and deportation affects green card holders, TPS recipients and more temporary statuses. And although being a naturalized resident or U.S. born person may think folks are safe, but the prison industrial complex affects all people of color. As a refugee born in Somalia, fleeing a civil war, I know trauma. And that trauma will stay with me till the day I die. I know firsthand what the prison and criminal justice system has had its effect on my family, my community, and people who I feel fearful and don't trust government or law enforcement. One out of every five immigrant detained while facing deportation on criminal grounds before the eagle eye, our courtroom responsible for adjudicating immigration cases is black. Black migrants are more likely to be detained for criminal conviction than the immigration population overall. Black migrants are much more likely than nationals from every other region to be deported due to a criminal conviction. I think a quote from Pastor Martin Memorial should speak on how injustice begets injustice has perpetuated to our history. First they came for socialists and I did not speak out because I was not a socialist. Then they came for trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me and there was no one left for me to speak. Many residents of Long Beach and concerned communities from neighboring areas are speaking out today for a clean Long Beach Values Act with no carve outs. We have to be intersectional in our liberation fight with the Clean Values Act with no carve out and a deportation fund. This is the continuation of having a long beach the residents deserve. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Thank you very much. Next speaker, please.
Speaker 2: Hello, mayors, mayor and council member. My name is Cynthia Valencia and I work for the ACLU of Southern California as a policy advocate and organizer. And I'm here because I do commend the Long Beach and City Council has been working with SAC or with the Long Beach Sanctuary Coalition to work on a Long Beach Values Act policy . However, it is significantly flawed since this policy does not protect all immigrants. As we have heard, there have been many moving stories about mixed status families that have had interactions with ICE. And we do not want the city of Long Beach to be part of that process where most deportation proceedings that happen are through interactions with local law enforcement and not because ICE just discovers them. So that's why we think that protect that no carve outs and protections for all immigrants is extremely important. And no carve outs of any kind or any sort of time limit are acceptable for us and other civil rights organizations. As someone previously spoke about their son who died in an adult Adelanto prison, our attorneys have frequently been working an auto on to a prison and many of the people who are in there are there because they had interactions with local law enforcement. So if Long Beach Police Department and if Long Beach, the city would wants to prevent this from happening, we cannot allow any sort of interaction with ICE, an additional policy that we think that the city should look into. As we we recommend that Long Beach law enforcement review any active joint task forces with the Department of Homeland Security and also in the future use discretion in any possible joint task force. This current California Values Act does not allow local police departments to work with ICE specific or with Department of Homeland Security specifically for immigration purposes . However, frequently a loophole used is for human trafficking and for drug enforcement. However, the National Immigration Immigrants Women's Advocacy Project has shown that communities are less likely to want to work with police departments if if they are at work, if they know that they are working with ICE. So if the Long Beach Police Department truly wants to be trusted by the community and Long Beach, any sort of interaction with ICE needs to be completely subverted because we want to make sure that our communities are safe, but immigrant communities are safe. And the only way for that to happen is that they trust the police and local law enforcement. And lastly, I just want to say that our coalition of civil rights organizations are not concerned with Jeff Sessions lawsuit with the state of California. We have been anticipating this. The attorney general has been anticipating this. And we really hope that Long Beach is one of those Southern California cities that is a pioneer in making sure that all immigrants are protected. Thank you.
Speaker 0: Thank you so much. So thank you so much. Just for the council's practice. Unless there's any objection, we'll go down to 2 minutes moving forward. See? No objection. Please continue.
Speaker 2: My name is Alvarado and I'm a I'm the first district and I am a proud daughter of an undocumented worker. He fought in World War Two and that's how he got his citizenship. I'm also the mother of a Navy veteran for 30 years who just retired. I also am a videographer. I do videos and this so I did parabola, which means I am of the people. I recently did a video for my first show, Military Family Speak Out. They talked about PTSD and about how many parents were talking about how their children had committed suicide. One of the symptoms was alcoholism. The other problem is that many undocumented veterans are in our society and some of them have been arrested. What for? Homelessness, substance abuse. This just part of the PTSD, right. Also, I want to talk about military families speak out. Recently went to Tijuana where they talked to a vet who had been deported. And they are these are vets who had been deported. And it was because they were undocumented. People get out of the service and they are dealing with PTSD. They they can't always apply like my father did after World War two, to become a citizen. So what is going to happen? We're going to have vet who fought for our country. We have had fans who have fought for our country and have been have been deported. That's when the against these cut outs. Well, these policemen who are who are vets arrest another vet because he maybe he was actually was homeless, maybe because he's suffering from PTSD and then have him deported because he didn't get his papers. And then we have a classic example in front of us. Our mayor was undocumented. He became a citizen.
Speaker 7: Under Ronald Reagan. Very much.
Speaker 2: Right. Right now, she her mother is was undocumented.
Speaker 0: Thank you very much.
Speaker 2: Right. So why are we doing this to people who could become our mayors like you?
Speaker 0: Thank you very much.
Speaker 6: Thank you. We have to thank you. Now. Does he know? Does he.
Speaker 2: Know that I.
Speaker 0: Hadn't been taking. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker Finkelstein.
Speaker 2: Good evening. I'm Linda Valdez. I'm a resident and a homeowner in the second district. I'm also a member of Media Watch and an advocate for deported vets. Let me say that one more time. So we could all say to ourselves. Deported. That's okay. First, I'd like to thank the mayor for bringing much needed order to this council meeting tonight. Thank you. As you may know today, James Traub, a Northern California ICE spokesperson, resigned based on and I quote, false and misleading statements made by Attorney General Jeff Sessions and ICE acting director Thomas Homan. And quote, Homan released a statement stating, and I paraphrase 864 criminal aliens and public safety threats remain at large in the community. I have to believe that some of them were able to elude us thanks to the mayor's decision. And Homan is referring to Oakland's Mayor Sharpe, who alerted the community of an imminent ice threat. The former spokesman Schwab as Homan to chase the message to reflect the truth and was told to deflect the truth. I bring this up because this is just an example of the lies that this administration and ice are spraying to feed the fear to the anti-immigrant sentiment. And it gets widespread media attention. OC Schwab also said they were never going to pick up that many people to say that 100% are dangerous criminals or that these people were picked up because of the actions of the mayor. That's just wrong. And he quit because he didn't want to perpetuate misleading facts. And this is a nice member. That's. That's my note tonight. I wanted to bring that up. And I implore this council to pass a Clean Values Act to truly reflect this city's commitment to the entire community. Not just a few see where they think you.
Speaker 0: Thank you so much. Next speaker, please.
Speaker 2: Honorable Mayor and council members. My name is Barbara Farrell and I'm with Clu. And I also am a team.
Speaker 4: Leader of friends of Orange County detainees. We, the people had a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. People are living in terror. They're in terror that their parents are going to be torn away or their son will be torn away or their brother will be torn away. Young people, this is really terrorist activities that.
Speaker 2: Are occurring in the way. And it's they're making it very clear that it's a racially designated activity.
Speaker 4: That we should be afraid of the others.
Speaker 2: My parents came here.
Speaker 4: As uneducated people from Ireland.
Speaker 2: They were looking for a better life. They really wanted their children to have a life and to live and to eat a lot better than they did.
Speaker 4: So there were seven of us children. A police chief of the Port.
Speaker 2: Authority that participated.
Speaker 4: 911 Vietnam Vet a brother who is the highest paid guy CEO on Wall Street the year before he died. Health administrators and teacher. So that's.
Speaker 2: Our family. My parents got our kids educated. They worked.
Speaker 4: Hard. We all worked hard.
Speaker 2: That's the way it is.
Speaker 4: But this history of this country has some very bad history. And we should say never again.
Speaker 2: Never again.
Speaker 0: Thank you. Next speaker, please. Good evening, Mayor Garcia. Members of the city council. My name is Mark Cardenas. I'm a father, a voter, a resident.
Speaker 5: A resident of the ninth district and the youth organizer with my Girls in Action seven Today's young leaders from mostly the sixth and fourth District.
Speaker 0: I'm a son of immigrants. My parents came to this country as a migrant, as migrant workers from Mexico to make sure that American families have fresh.
Speaker 5: Fruit and vegetables on the table.
Speaker 0: And they can raise their children to be.
Speaker 5: Healthy and together.
Speaker 0: Many of many of my relatives had migrated here with the same purpose and values at the same time, have lived in the fear of being torn.
Speaker 5: Apart from their families as a result of policies that undermined the values this country has was founded on freedom, liberty and diversity.
Speaker 0: I'm here to urge the City Council to pass a clean Long.
Speaker 5: Beach Values Act with no carve outs.
Speaker 0: As a youth organizer with Carmichaels in Action, I heard countless stories of.
Speaker 5: Youth members who have been living in fear as a result of federal administration's racist and xenophobic policies that unjustly target their family members and Cambodian communities.
Speaker 0: The context which our young people are forced to navigate is a direct result of immigrant policies immigration policies that have created a higher standard for immigrants by reclassifying everyday.
Speaker 5: Common misdemeanors.
Speaker 0: And aggravated as aggravated felonies, making it easier to detain and deport Cambodians and other immigrant communities.
Speaker 5: The U.S. immigration system has created an uneven playing field the lobbies should not perpetuate.
Speaker 0: The carve outs are almost all exclusively.
Speaker 5: For past convictions. In almost all situations, these are.
Speaker 0: People who committed crimes years.
Speaker 5: Ago.
Speaker 0: And have since turn their lives around. This is the case for Cambodians, who typically have convictions.
Speaker 5: From the nineties and early 2000 and after release have been contributing to their communities and helping out their families.
Speaker 0: Let the legacy of this Council be written today that you all stood on the right side of history, that you all voted with compassion, humanity, our Cambodian community and.
Speaker 5: Immigration and immigrant community are counting on you.
Speaker 0: And we got a message for you all. And so when I say when I say no, you say carve outs. No, hard no. And I say no. You say carve out. Oh, no, thank you. You say carve outs. No, no. Thank you very much. Thank you. Next week for peace.
Speaker 2: Okay. Okay.
Speaker 0: Okay.
Speaker 2: Thank you.
Speaker 0: Next speaker, please.
Speaker 2: It's not just. Good evening. My name is Helene Hoffman. I'm an immigration lawyer. I'm here for a personal reason as well. I'm Jewish. My parents are Holocaust survivors. They were in concentration camps in Europe. And I want to tell you that to me, in a sense, what's going on with the federal government is its own version of that in some respects. And it just makes me really sick than a country like the United States. We are doing this. I what? Because we're cut short on time here. I want to tell you a couple of things. I've lived all across this country. I'm from the Midwest. Long Beach is the best place I have ever lived. And I want to thank you, because a lot of communities would not even entertain any sanctuary kind of. Bill, I want to also tell you that immigration law, I practice different areas of law. It is the toughest area I have ever practiced. So I want to talk about funding, not to just give lawyers money, but funding so that we can give undocumented immigrants who need to representation by lawyers because it is so difficult. This area of law, I cannot imagine someone coming here without an American education who doesn't speak the language to represent him or herself adequately before an immigration court. The we all need a lot of education about immigration law. There's a federal justice officer who had the gall to just say that a child, a lot of these undocumented people are young children, that a child, three or four years old, he has taught them immigration law adequate to represent themselves in an immigration court. This is what we're dealing with. Of course, that can't be the case. Also, two out of three Californians who are undocumented go to court without a lawyer each year if they have a lawsuit to obtain relief from being removed from the United States for their are for 15 times more likely to get a positive judgment from the court. Thank you. If they don't have if they do have a lawyer, I want thank you very much.
Speaker 1: Thank you for your time. Thank you for your testimony.
Speaker 0: Next week, at least. Hello. My name is Andrew. My cousin was supposed to be here today to share her story, but she's currently undergoing surgery. Her father, Felix, her mother Liana and her brothers and sisters were stripped away from us when I tricked Felix into walking into a police station under the guise of filling out paperwork, they had to leave behind a newly bought house, their friends and their family and their jobs. My mother and I did not see them for years. Neither did my.
Speaker 8: Nieces and nephews.
Speaker 0: But the thing that hurts the most is that my brother never got to see them again. My cousin Felix had to attend his funeral through a webcam. That's the thing that hurts the most. As a matter of fact, now that I think about it, my brother might still be alive today if my family was not separated. Why? Because family is the best support network that we ever have. And it's all because it's all because of these this narrative that the police department, the city staff, most of which don't even live in the community, in some of you behind the dias have put forth the good immigrant versus the bad immigrant. Susie. If your family were immigrants, then you support the Tongva community. Who are the original inhabitants of this land? D You represent blacks, Latinos, Pacific Islanders and Asians. That immigration is all of their issues. It's not just one. I want you all to understand that. And I know Roberta's not here, but I looked at all my hope. I still continue to look up to it. And Lena, as a former staff member, please don't let these Corvettes go through. I please. I look up to you. And what? And lastly, lastly, Robert, I know you are not out here right now, but I know you can hear me. I don't know if you've ever canvased in central, west or North Long Beach, but there are immigrants in those communities who grew up poor, just like you. Thank you for coming out. Thank you. But those communities. Well, let's be fair. That leads you to stand with them. Thank you. Thank you for your time. And I just want to mention to the Journal that just because we were able to hear everything, so I heard everything just in case. So as I was walking in. So take. Thank you. Next week since.
Speaker 2: My name is Marina Soto. And today I got a call from one of my workers, one of my coworkers in the hotel that she was on the way to work. Her husband was taking her to work here in a hotel on beach when she stopped by to get a donut before work with her husband. And Ice came out of their vans in civilian clothes and arrested her husband as a leader in the hospitality industry. What? I told this housekeeper. I didn't know what to say. Last year, I had to get as many friends possible together to send to my dad that was deported. His crime. Driving without a license. He's he's lived in Arpaio death camps for almost a year without representation. Lina and Roberto. I looked up to you during the Love for the Girl Stand with Women Line. You stood with us. Rex and Janine stood with us. Don't make the mistakes your colleagues did and stand with us now. Don't wait until another Time magazine Woman of the Year comes out for you to speak to us. Enough is enough. We're indigenous people. This is our continent. We are not immigrants. Robert Garcia, you are not an immigrant. This is your land. Claim it. Claim it for your people in Long Beach. Claim it for your indigenous people. This is ours. And we're here to stay. I vouch today to defend to the fifth day. Sorry to disobey Trump. Do you stand today to disobey Trump?
Speaker 0: Thank you. Thank you very much. Next week, a piece. Next beaker, please. Hey, we got be your next speaker.
Speaker 2: Hello.
Speaker 0: Good evening. Okay, that's enough. This work. That's actually a threat. Now that's a threat. You're going to be asked to leave. I'm taking. We're taking. We are taking everyone. I want everyone else. There's a stereo seating. We're taking a shower recess. Are going to deal with that right now.
Speaker 6: What about you? You know. Thank you, guys. We're going to we're going.
Speaker 0: To go ahead and start the meeting again. We're going to go ahead and start training again.
Speaker 6: Thank you. I'm at the Carlyle. I'm going to call a meeting.
Speaker 0: Okay. We're going to go back into recess. Well, thank you. So we will we will continue. Just just so everyone is aware, too, there you know, when we have when someone is removed, there is a process and a legal process that we have to go through. So I just want to make sure everyone is aware of what we do have a practice at the council that we have to follow. And so if you're wondering why, you know, folks came out and came back in, we're just following with that what that practices. Mr. City Attorney, you want to add to anything to that? Okay. Thank you. I want to make sure whoever was in line to speak as everyone back in line. Okay, great. Please go ahead.
Speaker 2: Hello. Good evening. My name is Farley Hakimi. I am. I'm pretty. I'm pretty meeting with Orange County and we get intimated as well as we. The policy, the team members for the policy rating of the S.A. City Sanctuary City Ordinance. And I'm here today to talk a little bit about that ordinance, which is, well, your council or your community members have modeled for the one that is presented in front of you, but also a little bit of changes for it. So it was a really long process for us to come up with an ordinance that would that would fit in with the spirit of the community to protect undocumented people. Our city ordinance includes it prohibits all city departments from collaborating with ICE, including local police departments. And the reason for this is so that there would be more trust for survivors of domestic violence and other people that have gone through different violence in their homes to come forward and put.
Speaker 3: Trust.
Speaker 2: In the people that would help them. We also have the prohibition of any city resources to be used for immigration enforcement, and we also have a universal representation item that helps community members acquire immigration, help through the city, through immigrant defenders. All of this was done for the community, by the community. All of it has is very inclusive of everybody, whether they have convictions of not or not. And I'm here to encourage you to do the same. Just because it has been a huge help for everybody in the city of Stanton, and we're not stopping just in that city. But please help your community members. And if you need help, feel free to reach out to us. The Orange County Red Rapid Response Network. And if you all have any questions, I'm here to answer them as well.
Speaker 0: Thank you so much. And we are Mr.. Mr. Rivera's Rivera is the last speaker, so I'm closing the speaker's list. I don't see any more. There's more. Okay. Mr. Suozzi is the last speaker on the speaker's list. Okay, we've got to close speaker's list, so if you please get in. So the gentleman in the back will be the last speaker. And the speaker's list is close. 1 to 3 close officially. So the gentleman in the back with the cat. All right, next speaker. Thank you. My comments, I think, for all the city council members, but in particular for one and for seven. Roberto Dunga. But I mean, you know, the mayor here, the carve outs ultimately are the test of how and what kind of policy the city is going to enact. It is the ultimate test when Trump is literally visiting California to bully California. A week after Jeff Sessions filed a lawsuit to instill fear in officials in our state officials and local officials. That's why they filed a lawsuit to instill fear in each and every one of you. So this is really a battle between courage and fear. There's a lot of policy in there, but it's really a battle between courage and fear. And we know that the only person that should be afraid is Trump. That's why he does this. So this is an ultimate test for you. Are are you going to side with the politics of fear or are you going to step up and enact a policy that doesn't move us backwards, that moves us forward because the SB 54 is the best we can get in Sacramento when we're dealing with regions like Kern County and Fresno and, you know, the Inland Empire, Riverside , these are very conservative counties. This is Long Beach is this Long Beach. This is what we can expect. We need a better standard, a standard out of Long Beach. And what do we mean when we say carve outs? This isn't abstract. This is Hawk Alvarez. We met his family. This is. This is the Cambodian families that are here. And this is their home. And this is not just an issue for Long Beach, because this is a national conversation. And we need the places like Long Beach to push because we're also dealing with Texas. We're also dealing with Alabama. We're also dealing with Georgia. And yes, we are dealing with Kern and Fresno and Riverside. And so we need you all to step up and create a higher standard here in Long Beach. The carve outs are the ultimate test. And what a better message to send Trump here in California that we don't turn our back on anybody here in California. Let's do it. Let's do it. Big mamas, let's do this. Thank you very much. Next speaker, please. Sure.
Speaker 2: Thank you. Good evening, Mr. Garcia. Members of the council. Everybody who is in the room. My name is Hilda Guyton. I am a community activist and leader here in Rome. I came to America in 1989, and during my first years as undocumented, I lived in fear to go out after work. I lost my frontier because I was afraid to see a dentist. However, as an undocumented, I pay my taxes supporting my family. And I bought my first house here in Long Beach. I did all this because at work there was a man who lived who believed I was a worthy. He supported me all the way. He even had a place where I can hide in case in immigration show up. I flourished because of these people. And thanks to all the people who gave me the opportunity of being me, regardless of my legal status. Today. Today, you can do the same thing. You can give the opportunity to everybody who is here and who is not here to have. The flourish, because if someone, one person flourished in the community, the whole community flourishes. I leave that and I ask you to please support this item in their agenda and to support you guys. This support.
Speaker 0: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Next, pick a base.
Speaker 2: But it's just a bonus when an artist most likely conceptualist. I mean, nobody's my alter ego. We want to know. Medal winner represented all Latinos in action, California. Good evening, everybody. Council members. My name is Marta Cota. I live in the first district representing all the Latino Latinos in action. California. California. Okay. Can you give me a speech? Me, this lawyer. We are going to look at the L.A. campus hierarchy and the Lonely Society. Also look at the issue. Okay. I believe I believe my speech is going to be copied because I believe that everything that has been said here is everything that I believe in and what needed to be said. Better get on. You got to direct them. Intel of class, status and class. And they live across the country. They wrote it with anger. You know, they must stand in front of Latinos. Get in long. But. But I do want to reach Lena's heart, Robert's heart and Robin and Roberto Tango's heart. And I'm mentioning you because you are the Latinos who are representing us. You're going to get all you can say. I'm not sure about me, but I started like Orlando got up Alhambra. He got up at this union community. I got here. I believe that tonight when you go to bed, you will be remembering every word that was said from our community in Venice. The moment is the moment of their hit that still there is inspiration. Let us tackle money that ghetto can save my case. One of my sins were let go Southampton Anita. Bill Belichick blessing custom baby a little ceremony and in witness you know the desperation and now agitation for our community. I want you to be aware that that is just a small portion of what our community is going through. Missing three systems. So this cannot be a latency that I see on the planet. Is there be a lot of noise through the low rate or sentimental in most cases. But I still am promoting.
Speaker 0: Your new.
Speaker 2: Status and I feel sad for the insensibility of the people who have not allowed us to speak about our desperation or sadness and frustration to not be able to speak Lina, the innocent baby eaten in those eyeballs in this eternity, making us want this magic like Aslan Aquilina even organization and settle this blessed are also says both of you know you have a baby. You also have two teenagers and you don't understand how many people here have many husbands who have been separated. You are not Alcala is that not yet? Is Omega? He goes, like you say, No, not one other thing. I do not know. My book is one for families immigrant this but also be in La Familia go on separate us little seahorse in also special formula lost a companion I thought it was special if one with respect you know this woman, a new mayor I know you will let us down and there you will. Sorry, I get into another face. Let me confirm. It's as long as all three of you understand me. And I know that the epoch is another day. So I don't think they don't look again. They feel this social status is said can make what I saw exception Kyrgyzstan is going to stand is getting ambitious you know no matter what no intent of course as a project look at same of poor Colombian not the images sad in middle ASEAN but I can see it all those look on say they spent a lot of money that they cannot feed adults yet. No no I think that about that we can ask you.
Speaker 0: Thank you. Next week, please.
Speaker 2: Hi. My name is Charlie Trejo. Are we allowed to ask a question?
Speaker 0: I just. Just. Just comments, will. We'll ask questions. If you have a question that you'd like someone to ask later on, we could do that. Okay.
Speaker 2: I pray that all of you are with us and not with them. I pray that you are not going to tip ice.
Speaker 3: And let the police department give identity records.
Speaker 2: To singling out the profiling as to who gets to stay and who doesn't. We need to carve it out. This is a loophole. Please do not let these divisive.
Speaker 3: And evil tools.
Speaker 2: Help Trump meet.
Speaker 3: His race based quotas.
Speaker 2: Let's not let him brag about his numbers. The number of immigrants he captures. Trump is going to build a wall that we can count on. That wall will be a progressive wall. It will be made of all of us holding hands across the border. I ask you to seize the moment and hold hands with us to stop this agenda, to stop the wall, to stop this loophole, and to stop this divisive tool and carve it out.
Speaker 0: Thank you very much. Next speaker, please. Hello, City Council.
Speaker 5: And Mayor Garcia, my name is Haugaard Rivera with Libra here representing the Sanctuary Long Beach Coalition. And we're asking you to adopt a clean Long Beach Values Act with no carve outs. I'm standing here right next to, you know, my people of color. And and we're asking you to stand with us because if you're not standing with us, you're standing with.
Speaker 0: Blue because blue is where the carve outs came from. And either you're on the right side of history or you're not. And if you're not standing and if you're not standing with.
Speaker 5: Us, you're standing where you're standing with the folks that.
Speaker 0: Actually made the carve outs. And that's why, as I recall, Blue has never been known to represent any.
Speaker 5: Kind of race. So so we're here standing.
Speaker 0: For people, not for somebody that had made.
Speaker 5: A choice to become blue. And so we're asking you to stand with us. And most recently.
Speaker 0: Robert Garcia, you you.
Speaker 5: You announced on the Twitterverse, you honored your man, International Women's Day. So I want you to imagine.
Speaker 0: What it would have been like for you if your mom was deported. What it would have been what would it have been like for your family if your family was torn apart by deportation? What would you have been here? Would you have had the same opportunities.
Speaker 5: That you are now, you know, being.
Speaker 0: Endowed with I mean, what would your family have done if that had.
Speaker 5: Happened to you?
Speaker 0: So today we're asking you to stand with your immigrant population, with your people, and to represent us in the way that we we want you to represent us. That's why we put you in that seat. So represent us today. Make sure that you pass a clean Long Beach Values Act with no carve outs and start protecting our families. Stop protecting them from being ripped apart and stop protecting. Stop protecting the folks that actually want to carve these things out. Stand with us today. And we're asking that of you.
Speaker 5: And the rest of the city council. Thank you.
Speaker 0: Thank you, Mr. Better. Next week, a police. Good evening. My name is Pastor Cue from Clergy and Lady United for Economic Justice. Dr. King said injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. But I would like I would like to add that injustice to anyone is a threat to justice for everyone. Why do I say that? Because my brother served in the military. My brother went to Desert Storm. He went to Iraq and he was convicted of a crime. He did his time. And as soon as he left the prison, he was deported. A veteran deported. He had been a military for quite a long time. So I'm here to say America owes people like my brother because my brother put his life on the line for this country. If America didn't want to be a country of immigrants in 1820, function of the Pilgrims shouldn't have landed in New England. America didn't want to be a country of immigrants. They shouldn't have come here because they were already natives here. If America didn't want to be a country of immigrants, they shouldn't have gone to Africa and forcefully taken black folks and brought them here. The legacy of America is sitting in this room. We're a nation of immigrants, whether we like it or not. The Pilgrims were not deported. They chose to come here and they weren't asked to leave. Thank you. Next week. At least I want that that aqua nature school here require teaching David de la Plata. Good evening, everyone. My name is David De La and more specifically, good evening, Lima and Jenny. September Heart. So it took my family 15 years to become legal. And there are some of the hardest workers that I know. They were six days a week, no paid sick leave, no vacations every single day, working and trying harder than most of the people in this room, to be honest. And but they finally got legal. So that's good. But I know there's still a lot of people in Long Beach that are living in fear every single day on the way to work. You can't even drive to work without having that weight on you. So with that, I just want to say we didn't cross the border. The border crossed us. This is Turtle Island. And if you're not a native person, you have no business saying who gets to stay or who gets to leave. Now, I've watched you support murderous policies like the poisoning of our people with 200 million barrels of oil. I've watched you guys ignore the police on women in the hotels. And if you make the wrong decision here today, you know less than supporting white supremacist ideology.
Speaker 6: Thank you. And next week, the police.
Speaker 0: Good evening, everybody. My name is James Sweitzer, the associate director of Building Healthy Communities Long Beach. Organization has been part of the Sanctuary Long Beach campaign, and we've started this effort over a little over a year ago. It's crazy to believe that it's been a year, but this is a campaign that's been really important not only to the organization, our organization, but also the community. As you can see, I have to say that I'm over so many emotions that so many people are behind me, still here late this night in preparing some comments, I thought a lot about the title of this act, the Values Act and the values that I've heard hear from you all in terms of what we value. And I think one of those is collaboration, and that's something that we have done a lot. And I think I also hear a lot of respect, great respect for this process, for what we've been through. I also was one of the first people to say this. I'm sure you all will add. I have to commend city staff who worked with us, specifically Kevin Jackson, Monica and Katie, who have worked with the campaign for five long months and buried our scheduling with this is a labor of love for them and we wouldn't be here at this point without their dedication. I have to say I am disappointed that we haven't been able to work and have the same as close of a relationship with all the council offices. I think we've had a really difficult time and I think one of the results of that is this line of folks here. But I think the other thing too is that we value is the inclusion, right? Inclusion of our Cambodian community, which we know is very politically divided. There is not one councilmember here that has a majority of the Cambodian population, and that's why we stand in solidarity, whether Latinos black and in solidarity with the Cambodian community to not be left out of this. And I get it. This is a hard decision for you all. And I'll be honest, we don't have I know chief love of here before we've been in the meetings with PD. We don't have the political clout that they have. We have the community. We have the courage to come here, share our stories, and talk about what's real and what the impact is to our community. So I implore you, please support this with no carve outs, a fully funded deportation defense fund. Thank you. I had gained two accounts on the day. Now we're going to go ahead to the council that they now have. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you very much. We're going to go ahead and go back to the the city council. So I do have some people that are cued up and sort of go through the debate. And I just ask everyone, of course, is to be respectful of folks as folks are are speaking and allow everyone to give their their points of view in the comments. And I'm sure there's going to be some questions back and forth as well. And so first up is Councilwoman Rice.
Speaker 7: Thank you. I have a few notes that should be displayed in just a second here.
Speaker 3: To go through.
Speaker 7: I appreciate everyone coming out and for all of your comments and regardless of what we do tonight and I look forward to what we do tonight, I think it's important. I mean, I certainly can only control what you do. You can't control what others do. But I think it's really important that we stay away from things like calling people who don't agree with us, white supremacists and things like that. I just I think that is not very helpful to the conversation.
Speaker 0: So you guys, guys, listen, everyone everyone is getting a chance to speak. And I just asked you guys, please just be respectful of now the council's debating and so we've please everyone has a chance to speak council.
Speaker 7: And I would say on the thoughts about having good relationships, it's interesting that one would get booed.
Speaker 2: Before.
Speaker 7: They've even talked about what their position is on something just because they don't like what what someone doesn't like what they're hearing. So it's especially from our religious leaders. So let's try to be respectful in this conversation. We are a very diverse city and we have residents all over the city who have thoughts and opinions and concerns about things. Today, my office received between yesterday and today, when the Press Telegram article came out over 100 emails, I believe almost all of them were an emphatic no on tonight's vote. And I think there's a lot of misinformation on behalf of a lot of residents in regards to what we're voting on tonight. So I want to do a little bit of clarifying on that so that the biggest concerns that have been expressed by my residents is a request that we vote no on sanctuary cities. And I think that it's really clear to me that there is no official definition of what a sanctuary city is and what that means. Some of my residents have believe that it means things that it really doesn't. In my opinion, what I believe the term means, as it's been implemented by over 300 jurisdictions in the United States, is that it limits information sharing between local authorities and federal authorities, which I support. There is no legal definition for it. And again, there's a great deal of misinformation about it and the context of tonight. We are a city of immigrants. Several of you pointed out how many of us are immigrants and several of you talked about the different backgrounds that some of us have. I for one, I was born in America, but I went back to the country of Iran as a baby with my mother and my father. And in 1979, my mother and I left the country because there was a political revolution taking place. And we left behind my father and my sister and I was separated from them and did not see them for over 20 years and I was reunited with my sister about 13 years ago. I share that with you because sometimes it's really, really easy to pick apart things that you don't like or support things that you do like. But I think it's really important that we step away for just a moment of advocacy and realize that we are all citizens. Many of us are citizens of this city, and we're doing our very best to walk along this journey side by side. And at the end of the day, as Rumi, one of my favorite poets, has said, we are all walking each other home. And I think that's really important to think about as we're going through this dialog, because we may not agree on everything. And I'll I'll share with you a little bit of what I'm talking about. So this is really for my residents. I will do a little bit of an education for for the over 100 people who reached out to my office and asked me to vote no on this item, which I'll tell you in a moment. I do plan to support the item and why, but every city in the state of California has to follow state law, and that is a requirement. And that's necessary, of course. And SB 54, which passed, really went through a great deal of changes to get to the place that it did its original. Version. And those of you who are here and some of you may have heard me then who might be booing me tonight, really didn't like some of the comments I made about SB 50 Four's original introduction. And it turns out it wasn't just me. Local law enforcement leaders and even our governor didn't like the original version of SB 54. And that's why it was amended to a place that I think makes a lot of sense. It makes a lot of sense to me, and it includes the law enforcement exception. But SB 54 is limited to law enforcement agencies only, and I think that it should be expanded as the staff proposal recommends to all city departments. For those of you who don't know and again for any of my residents watching at home. SB 54 allows a law enforcement official to have discretion to cooperate with federal immigration officials by detaining an individual on the basis of immigration hold after an individual becomes eligible for release from custody. Only if the continued detention of the individual on the basis of immigration hold would not violate any federal, state or local law or any other local policies, and only under the following circumstances. And it lists approximately enumerates approximately 34, I think it's 35 crimes, including felony DUIs, which for those who are familiar with with my career as a prosecutor, was a really important concept for me. And I support fully support those law enforcement exceptions. Many people don't know this. And again, this is for a lot of my residents who are at home who don't know and understand that immigration status is not something that is at all considered in the context of local criminal prosecution. Prosecutors and I've been one for almost 19 years, never know the citizenship status of victims or defendants. It's absolutely irrelevant to our core function, which is was there a crime committed and who committed the crime? That's the limited focus of local law enforcement. And so the immigration status of the individual is irrelevant and should not be known to prosecutors and law enforcement. I believe that very strongly. Over the course of my career, I have represented the people of the state of California and domestic violence cases and rape cases and in murder cases. And I have helped thousands of people through the trainings that I've done in my office on helping victims and witnesses apply for U visas so they could stay in the country after cooperating on a criminal prosecution. That's not me just talking. That's me actually doing. I've sat across the table from victims of domestic violence, and I've helped them stay in this country after they have cooperated with law enforcement. And I'm so proud of those efforts. Having said that, I've also prosecuted many, many white American born evil people. So in my opinion, immigration status is absolutely irrelevant to the concept of whether someone committed a crime and what crime they committed. I do believe that the fear of deportation, that information is shared will result in less victims and witnesses cooperating with police officers. And I am a proud justice seeker. I got into the job because I wanted to fight for victims of crime. I don't care what their immigration status says. They're going to get 1,000% of my efforts and I want them to help us solve crimes. So I feel very strongly about that. So I learned my lesson with the hotel item. So I'm going to make a few things really, really clear because I don't want someone to come back later and say Suzy Price doesn't like immigrants because that's not the case. So I just want this to be clear. I support the exceptions which allow information to be shared under SB 54. And as a prosecutor, I know what it means for someone to be convicted of the very serious crimes listed, the crimes enumerated. It doesn't involve arrests, it's convictions only. And so to me, that makes a huge difference. And I do support that. The proposed values act as as as presented by council has three components, if I understand it correctly. The first is that city departments should follow the current guidelines of SB 54 that the city should provide financial support for a legal defense fund. This is the one area I'm going to talk about that I have an opposition to and that the city should allow for federal and state legislative advocacy, which I fully support. I do not support using taxpayer dollars. Public funds to fund a legal defense fund. And I'll tell you why. Using city finances to fund a legal defense, in my opinion, is in violation of our city charter, even if it's not the city attorney who's actually advocating on behalf of the individual. I believe that the intent of our charter is to limit our functions as a city and limit to what we can do in terms of municipal affairs. Currently, the city cannot enforce or defend against against laws on behalf of those who are not employed in the city. It's actually in our city charter under Section 603. I think what's being proposed through the staff policy, in my opinion, my personal opinion is in violation of the intent of the charter. Let's take, for example, the situation where we ask our city attorney to defend against an action for the city. And the city attorney contracts out with a public I mean, with a private law firm to do that city attorney work. Our charter and the limitations of our charter would apply to the firm that we have hired to work on behalf of the city. That firm cannot represent an individual in a legal action by going through a nonprofit organization, which, by the way, the staff report, as great as it is, is completely void of any details of how this financial allocation would work. So I would be urging my colleagues not to vote on that tonight anyway. There's no implementation plan. It's unclear to me what nonprofit is going to get the money. In the past, we have allocated large sums of money, and I know $100,000 isn't a large sum of money, but in the past we've allocated large sums of money for causes that I've expressed concern about, and there's been applause that's been erupted in the council chambers. But I would ask folks who applauded in those situations, do you feel that the city's allocation of that large sum of money has moved the needle on that issue?
Speaker 2: Because I tell.
Speaker 7: You, it has not, because we didn't identify exactly how that money was going to be spent or where it was going to go. In my opinion, allocating the money the city tax dollars to a nonprofit to implement a legal defense fund is a way to get out creatively, get around the intent of our charter, which is city money should be used to defend the city and city employees if it's going to be used for legal action. It's not the intent of our charter that we allocate taxpayer dollars for individual legal battles. So just to be clear, I do not believe that we should use public funds to support individual legal issues. So my vote tonight will be and I want to hear from my colleagues, but I think my vote is going to be I support following SB 54 because it is the law. I support staff's recommendation to expand the law so that all city departments cannot share information as to immigration status only. I support staff's recommendation, which does not eliminate the law enforcement exception that allows information sharing in the three or four enumerated circumstances. And I do not support using city funds to fund a legal defense fund. So at this point, I know there's been a motion and a second, but I would like to make a substitute motion that we adopt the recommendations of staff. Absent the legal fund portion.
Speaker 0: Okay. That's a that's a motion. Is there a second on that motion? Okay. There's there's a second on the motion. So that's a now substitute motion. We still have people cued up and we're just going to go right through the queue and hear from other folks. Next up is Councilwoman Gonzalez.
Speaker 3: Okay. So thank you all again so much for being here, telling us your stories, talking about your advocacy for this issue. It certainly, you know, means a lot to many of us on the council, whether we are or we come from immigrant families or not. I think this is an issue that all of us have to be aware of and care about, not just because I'm Latina, but because it should matter to all of us. We have neighbors who are being affected. We have friends who are being affected. We know we know the stories. We've seen them. We've heard them. We've looked at them on TV. And clearly there's an issue here. Now, I actually have a a line of questioning for chief for our police department. I don't know if Chief Luna is going to respond to those questions, because I do believe that we need to clarify a lot of what is out there. There is a lot of misinformation. And I want all of us to understand that this policy we're putting forward is to support immigrants as much as we possibly can. And I do believe in a legal defense fund, which I will talk about. So first, I want to get some clarifying answers to the questions that I have for our police department. Of course, we know what SB 54 includes, but a lot of us know what it looks like on paper. But we don't know the exceptions, the situations that were in, in order for us to really realize what we can and cannot do as a police department and also as a city department. So first and foremost, and I appreciate you, Chief Luna, for being here today. I first want to ask you, because there's quite a few questions here, and so I. Please bear with me. I think this is all very, very important for us. First question, as it relates to making arrests on civil immigration warrants, can you explain a civil immigration warrant how that differs from a criminal warrant in terms of live PD participation?
Speaker 0: Mr. Mayor, and members of the City Council and specifically to council member Lena Gonzalez. The way that differs is we don't enforce civil law as a police department. Civil immigration warrants can be issued by a nice agent. A criminal warrant needs to be issued by a judge. We actually in our department currently have a special order that explains the difference to our employees between a civil warrant through NCIC, which ICE issues and criminal matters that we deal with. I'm looking for the special order. Give me a quick second here. Because I'm just going to paraphrase it if if that's okay, because I know we've been here a long time on this, but anyways, it does describe what a civil detainer is and just reading from it, it says Unless immigration status is relevant to another criminal offense, the fact that an individual is suspected of being a non-citizen should not be used as a sole basis for contact, detention or arrest. That's primarily what the special order calls for. The next paragraph deals when when we do assist other law enforcement agencies, including ICE.
Speaker 3: Okay. Thank you. So I just want to summarize and make clear that we are not actively enforcing civil civil immigration warrants.
Speaker 0: We do not ask people in the three situations I named. We don't ask people for their immigration status even when we arrest people. We are not asking them for their immigration status. We are arresting people for criminal charges. Statues under the penal code. Vehicle code at times. And welfare and institutions code. Nothing to do with civil immigration process. We do not do that here at the Long Beach Police Department.
Speaker 3: Okay. Thank you. And that is clearly stated in the special order, as you as you mentioned. That's correct. Okay. The second question I have and this has been sort of not clear and I wanted to get clear on this as well, was does the LAPD affirm that they do not ask about citizens ship status, as you mentioned , but specifically, are we inquiring about country of birth at any time?
Speaker 0: So as stated prior, ma'am, we do not ask people for immigration status on these routine contacts, detention or arrest. There are some instances where we will ask people the country of origin. But I think that's a citywide thing. And the only two instances I could think of is for pre-employment applications if somebody is applying for the position of police officer. We obviously ask them what their immigration status is and then when we get into U visas. Councilwoman Pryce talked about the U. Visa program. Obviously, that is an effort to assist somebody who's an immigrant who's been a victim of a crime. We're going completely out of the way to assist in those situations. Now, you asked about the place of birth, which is a little different than immigration status in our booking forms. That is an L.A. County booking form. There is a box there that we have to fill in that asks for place of birth. There is no follow up questions after the place of birth to somebodys immigration status.
Speaker 3: Okay. Thank you. And can you. So you've said I don't know if everybody understands certainly the process of the U visa. I understand it is for immigrant residents who want to receive a visa to stay in this country if they were a victim of a crime. And do they divulge the information? Are we. I just want to make sure we the process is clear on what that visa is and what the process is in terms of obtaining that information.
Speaker 0: So are you visas an immigration benefit that can be sought by victims of certain crimes who are currently assisting or have previously assisted law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution of a crime, or who are likely to be helpful in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity. And just to give you an example, in 2017, there were 284 incidences where people applied, and out of the 284, 212 were approved. So that's a significant amount that were approved for for that purpose. And again, we are focused on the fact that individuals are victims. We don't care what color, race, religion, affiliation or immigration status. That does not matter to us when we're dealing with victims.
Speaker 3: Okay. Thank you, Chief, for the clarifying information. I just want to make sure we're clear on on why it's asked in the context in which it's asked as well, which is actually to, it seems, from what you're saying, to support our immigrant populations for for staying here, in fact. A few more questions. So under in terms of sharing personal information, which was a big one for SB 54 and of course here in Long Beach, not just for the police department, but we want to make sure, as I mentioned before, that sharing personal information, retaining the information, disseminating the information is not it's prohibited not just from the police department, but from every single department in this city. That means code enforcement officers should not be doing that. That means health department officers should not be doing that. Public works. However, people provide information. It should not be disseminated, shared at all. Now, Chief, I just have to get clear on this one. Under what circumstances do we, if at any time, share information, do we still have to share it if the information is public? Because I know personal information as well as release dates are an issue. I know that there may be some some. Well, there is a large question about that.
Speaker 0: Yes. There are definitely questions about that and very good questions. Basically, when we're dealing with arrest information, the majority, if not all of that is already public information. So, for example, when we arrest people within, I want to say 24 hours, maybe just a little bit more, we're actually providing a list through relationships and previous agreements that we have with the media. So when you're arrested, people say, well, you're not supposed to give that out. Actually, we do give it out, and that's for everybody. It is important to note that because we are tied into the L.A. County booking system, when an individual gets arrested in the city of Long Beach, they get life scanned . The minute they get life scanned, their information automatically goes into that booking system. ICE has access to that system. So whether we want to share it or not, it is something they have access to. That's important because I think a lot of the people who spoke, I don't think definitely understand, understood that the only exceptions would be consistent with SB 54. And I think Councilwoman Pryce talked about that as well.
Speaker 3: Okay. Thank you so much. Okay. I'm just going to get my notes here. I'm sorry. The next question is transfers to ice. Can you explain whether there are transfers to ice occurring from the Long Beach Police Department?
Speaker 0: The simple answer to that would be a quick one. And that would be not to my knowledge, at least during the time I've been the chief of police in this city, in our city, the last three plus years. But it is important to note that if ICE wants somebody in our custody, we do have a procedure in place to comply with the current law. And that's very important. And again, going back to the previous question in some of my answer, when ICE automatically gets the booking information they have in their system, when somebody is wanted by ICE for one reason or another, it is important for everybody who is listening to me to understand that when ICE wants somebody from the Long Beach Police Department, we do not automatically release people to ICE unless they provide us with a judicial warrant. If they have a civil civil paperwork, that does not work for us. It has to be a judicial warrant and that is per SB, it's actually a before and then SB 54. So we're following state law when it comes to that.
Speaker 3: Okay. So a judicial criminal warrant and is is needed on all of these cases. So for specific release date information and also for transfers to ICE as well. Is that correct?
Speaker 0: Yes, that is our current practice. And I believe based on what we're doing, we are following state law. SB 54 and 84.
Speaker 3: Thank you. Now a few more questions here. How are we handling criminal immigration reentry? I'm sorry. Just immigration reentry after someone has already been deported when they come back. Is there a specific. Way we are handling our process. We are handling these types of individuals.
Speaker 0: We comply with SB 54. We don't proactively enforce any immigration related offenses. The only way we're going to come in contact with somebody under the circumstances I think you're asking about is if they get rearrested for one reason or another.
Speaker 3: Okay. And then access to jails or ICE agents or federal agents using our Long Beach jails to conduct business.
Speaker 0: I did some research on that because sometimes you ask the question and people say either no or I don't think so. Based on the research we did, I didn't find any instances, at least recently, where somebody from ICE visited our jail. But under if you look at SB 54 or something, I want to make clear to everybody in this room and anybody who's listening is I don't if you are committing violent crimes, serious crimes, or you are impacting this community in a very negative way because you're a repeat offender, I'm going to allow any agency that will assist us in making sure that that individual, whether they are documented or undocumented, gets the full force of the law. Because at the end of the day and something I didn't say earlier, I'm people have said it over and over. I'm the son of an immigrant, too. I grew up in an immigrant community. I know firsthand what it's like to be victimized by individuals who I'm always looking around saying, boy, somebody needs to do something about these individuals. I live with that I know a lot of you out there, people I've worked with hand in hand, you know who I am. You know where my heart is. We don't go after the ice cream vendor, but I'm going to tell you something. There will be no sanctuary for anybody who's committing serious crime in this city. I don't care what your immigration status is.
Speaker 3: Okay, Chief, thank you. And the next question I have is in regards to the types of joint task force meetings we have and we've been involved with. And I know we do have an M.O.. You contract with the Port of Long Beach. Perhaps we can talk about maybe what's included in that M.O. you respective to how we can we collaborate on our waterways.
Speaker 0: We have an individual that's assigned to the best task force, which is maritime security, as you know. And we have spoken about this issue on many occasions. We are a very unique city with many homeland security needs. Part of one of our biggest responsibilities we have in this city is maritime security, waterside and and landside. Part of the task force that we're on. They focus on maritime security type issues which deal with homeland security. There is human trafficking involved. There's narcotics involved and other long term investigations. That is a very important part of keeping this community safe, our homeland safe. So we participate with many other law enforcement agencies that include include other federal law enforcement agencies.
Speaker 3: Okay. Thank you very much. And then, Kevin, I just have a couple of questions for you. To 87 G, if you're familiar with that program, if you'd be able to just quickly talk about the 287 G program. It's in essence, I'll just say it real briefly. It's a federal program in which states can participate in in deputizing their police officers to enforce immigration law similar or in conjunction with ICE. Do you are we saying in this proposal that we will not enter into any new M.O. user contracts with respective under this under this 27 G program?
Speaker 5: Councilwoman Gonzales. The answer to that question is yes.
Speaker 3: Okay. Thank you. Great. And then the last one for you, Kevin, is which city entities outside of our own city departments have we engaged with? And are we asking in this policy to implement similar policies because we want to make sure outside of the city if a student at Cal State, Long Beach, Long Beach, City College, the port, the water department, I'm hoping they were all engaged with, and that we can start recommending whatever we pass today to make sure the whole city is included.
Speaker 5: Councilwoman Gonzalez is part of the the process of developing the ordinance. We limited we limited our interaction to city manager departments.
Speaker 0: But we did discuss.
Speaker 5: The the need to, to reach out to non city manager departments. And as, as I indicated in the presentation tonight, we would encourage non city departments to, to either comply with whatever, whatever policy the City Council adopts or a similar policy. And so we have we have, you know, taken an interest in that. We've also engaged with Cal State Long Beach as part of the engagement process. We collected some information on the Long Beach Unified School District and some things that they've been they've recently done. I could I could have Katie come and speak to some of those things that those recent actions that have taken place. But I think for this this particular this particular item that's on the agenda tonight, our efforts are really focused on the city of Long Beach and its departments. But I would like Katie to speak to the engagement work that we did and what we found with some of the other agencies in the community and what they're doing to limit cooperation with immigration authorities.
Speaker 2: Good evening. Good evening. Yes. Good evening. Sorry. Getting the hang of that. Good evening, counsel. Councilmember Gonzalez in particular. As Kevin mentioned, we did some outreach with Cal State, Long Beach, both with the police department.
Speaker 3: As well as the Dream Center. And what we learned through.
Speaker 2: Our outreach there is the police department following the incident where a Cal State Long Beach police officer pulled over Jose Alvarez past what they refer to as General Order 55, which is similar in some ways to what we're proposing tonight. And the officers shall not stop or detain persons for determining, based on their immigration status or arrest persons solely for alleged undocumented entry into the U.S. and because their law enforcement. Cal State Long Beach Police Department also must follow SB 54. Additionally, what we found in outreaching to Cal State Long Beach.
Speaker 3: Is through their dream center, they do.
Speaker 2: Provide resources for students, including an investment of $200,000 to pay for fees for students. And they work to connect students to resources and help normalize the college experience. We also learned through just some research that Long Beach Unified passed a resolution in February 2015, essentially designating schools as safe zones and ensuring that any request by ICE, either for access to schools or for student information, must first go through the superintendent's office. They're not collecting any data with respect to immigration status for their students, and they also partnered with their afterschool providers to.
Speaker 3: Ensure that they're.
Speaker 2: Also abiding by those same policies.
Speaker 5: Thank you, Kate.
Speaker 3: Okay. Thank you very much for that. The clarifying information. So I'm going to have I have a motion that I'm going to put on the floor, a couple items that I'm going to put on the on the floor here, just including all this information, because I think, again, a lot of the information that we heard today was just not we haven't heard before. And I really appreciate the police department for and Chief Luna for answering these questions, because I think there were a lot of muddy points for many of our residents who didn't really understand what our LBB PD policy was. And before the special order came out and it just states one simple thing, the administrative warrants versus criminal warrants, I think we could possibly add more in the special order respective to what you're mentioning today and the answers you provided. So if that's something we can do, I want to make a motion, my first motion, you know, the special order. And I don't know if you've seen, but the city of Los Angeles created a special order back in the seventies, 1979, when Daryl Gates was the chief of police back a long time ago. And the special order was because of many raids happening, similar to what we're going through today, lots of raids happening to the L.A. community. The city of L.A. decided they need to do something and take a stand. And so the chief of police at that time put forward a special order, as we did, similar to what we're doing now. But it clearly outlined what we can and cannot do in terms of being a police department. So what I would like to to ask Chief Luna and adding in this motion is to include the a mandate, the special order that outlines the procedure not only for civil versus judicial criminal warrants, which you've included, but also includes these special cases that we've discussed today. So the questions that I've asked Chief Luna and the answers provided, I would like that to be included. So it's clearly dictated what we can and cannot do as a city Long Beach Police Department. In addition to that, we do need to make this publicly available. I believe that many other cities have their policies publicly available online. Whether whatever happens today, we still need to educate individuals more than here that need to understand what this policy actually means and what we're going to do going forward. So I'd like us to have a a site, a city website similar to what we did with the land use element. Long Beach dot gov slash Long Beach Values Act that clearly defines maybe facts and questions so people understand in various languages what this means tonight. Thirdly, I'd like to ensure that we provide this resolution as soon as possible to all city departments. I'm sorry to all city entities outside of the departments for recommended implementation as soon as possible. And with that, with our city departments, it would be good if we had a letter of commitment from each of our department heads in that we make sure that this is protocol from now on, that the Long Beach Values Act is something that each of us are committed to, not just the Long Beach Police Department, but every single city department is committed to. And lastly, I do believe in the legal defense fund. I think many other cities have done it. If you look at the city of New York has $16 million that they they have a lot of money that they privately funded, which is fantastic. We have New York City. I'm sorry, I already said New York. It's been a long night. Washington, D.C., $500,000 as little as Santa Anna, $65,000. But I know we can do more here. And so and this is why I'm saying this is because regardless of what happens, I the police department, from what we're gaining and commitment from our police department in all of our city departments, is that we don't have a crystal ball to see anyone in here or ourselves or anyone who has any criminal background. We don't we don't know who does or does not. But we want to be able to protect all of our immigrants, as well as all of the individuals who are high need individuals outside of being an immigrant. Right. We talked about people of color. We talked about people who need to be universally represented. And much of the funding and various other cities do have universal representation. So that's what I'm going to ask for tonight. I would like to direct the city manager to secure. We've asked originally for 100,000. I am going to ask for $250,000 in general fund dollars perhaps as a baseline. Perhaps we can do more, starting with any surplus from 2017 or any unused moneys from other special funds for the exclusive use of legal defense in response to deportation cases, including individuals who need universal representation. And this should be in conjunction with organizations such as the Vera Institute. We know that this institute has a longstanding history of working with municipalities. It is an organization that works with us that could work with us, possibly matching funds, so giving us another 250,000. It also provides key performance and metrics, and that's really important. How are we doing in this policy? What? Where do we need? Where are the gaps? Two years, three years, four years down the line and reports for ongoing policy suggestions and how we can continue to report. I will say in that fund, whoever we work with, whether it's whether it's the community foundation or central charge.
Speaker 2: Whoever it is.
Speaker 3: We need to make sure that impacted communities like the Cambodian refugees do take priority depending on what the public feels. I also feel that if we're going to use this fund as well to look at all of our communities, high risk individuals who have maybe some background that they need to get expunged or need some additional services that we're also looking to places like our African-American communities and our Latino communities, whether immigrants are not. So that's what I'm putting out there. The last thing I will say is we need to provide updates on all. I'm sorry, this is another add on. Provide all updates on state and federal policies to the City Council. We've done a really great job at that. There is one bill that we I don't know that we've supported in the past. It's the Senate Bill 1506 that basically states that landlords should not be retaliating against immigrant populations. And I think we need to take a stand and support that as well. And then the last thing here is there is a initiative that we have not taken a part of. Los Angeles has taken a part of this. San Francisco has taken a part of this, but we have not. So we're missing here. And someone from the Cambodian community spoke to it. The Long Beach YMCA is a partner in this, but we are not as a city. So I'm asking us to be a partner. Welcoming initiate I'm sorry, welcoming America initiative. Becoming a member of this initiative cost as low as $200 annually. We can do things like create certification processes for how well we're doing with inclusivity respective to immigration populations, and it provides additional resources with a mission to provide a roadmap for training and in becoming a more inclusive city towards immigrants and really all residents. So I'm asking us to be a member, official member of this initiative. So with that said, I thank you all here for for being here tonight. I hope that this is a very robust motion for everyone. And I also want to say that the work is not going to be done. It's not going to be done here. And we have a lot of work to go ahead and continue doing. But this, I know, is a great starting point to support our immigrant communities. Thank you very much.
Speaker 0: Thank you. Thank you, Councilwoman. I know we have a long speakers list. I'm going to just say a few a few comments and questions and I'll I'll let everybody else cue up. I know we're going to second round now, Jessica, but a couple of things. The first is obviously just a a I think that she just amended her main motion is what she did.
Speaker 5: There's a substitute on the floor. This would be a substitute. Substitute. Correct. Is there a second?
Speaker 0: Is there a second on the substitute substitute?
Speaker 2: Well, we got a.
Speaker 0: Is there a second on the substitute? Substitute. Okay. All right. So that is the substitute motion on the floor. So a couple a couple a couple questions for the staff and the city attorney. So just the thing I think that's important and I want to make sure and I appreciate everyone's comments and I appreciate whether there will be is and where they're coming from. When when I think when we talk about public safety and one of the reasons why I believe that folks advocated and we have had a coalition of folks come together with the sanctuary coalition is because public safety, as we know, is not just about policing, but public safety is also about making sure that people in the community feel safe as part of that community. One of the reasons why sanctuary policies are important for all those folks that have also contacted to our office, is that in the current environment, a lot of people in our community just do not feel safe interacting, not just with law enforcement, but also with government. And so what we're seeing right now, and I've talked to folks in the police department, I've talked to judges at our courts, I've talked to residents in the community. There is a real fear from people to even interact with the judicial system or the public safety continuum system that we have in Long Beach. And so for for all of us, where it might be very easy and we don't have a problem with picking up the phone or calling 911 or asking for help. I think it's important for everyone to know, and particularly for those that are watching tonight, that that is not the case for everyone in the city. And so the fear that people feel with interacting with the government actually makes us less safe. It makes us less safe as a community because crimes and serious issues are not being reported. We have some cases out of the Long Beach courthouse where we've had women in particular. I'm not show up to some domestic violence cases because of their immigration status and because they're afraid of deportation. So those are real fears. And that's why I believe this council is having this this debate today. The first the first thing is a question I know I had asked the city attorney this, but it's my understanding on the legal defense fund question, I fully support a legal defense fund. I think that not only should the city have be a part of that, and I think it's important that there are and there is public dollars to a legal defense fund. I think that says a lot about the city's commitment, but also, of course, that the city would engage like like L.A. or the county has an additional fund raising, a nonprofit support. But Mr. City Attorney, is it your legal opinion that we can develop a legal defense fund, essentially have a system that creates one? I know I have asked you that.
Speaker 5: Mayor, members of the council, I think the answer is yes. But we couldn't, as the councilmember from the first District described, we couldn't do that tonight. What we would do is take direction from the council, as I'm taking notes here on what it is that you would like to do, how you would like to set it up , we would need to do additional research, look at what the other cities are, and come back to council for an authorization for the Fund. Who the partners would be to provide council with the information necessary for the defense fund that then they can approve that as a policy decision. But I think at the end of the day, the answer is yes, we can get you where you want to be.
Speaker 0: Okay. And I just want to make and I want to just add to that as well. And so I think I'm clearly with both the County of Los Angeles and the city of Los Angeles and other jurisdictions establishing legal defense funds. Long Beach can establish one and we should establish one as well. I do have a question for the chief because I mean, obviously, the main conversation debate is around the carve out piece and those particular sets of crimes that have occurred in the past. And so when when SB 54 obviously was adopted, there was no in the law. I believe there is no set of kind of check and balance about what that meant. It was kind of it was kind of penal as a brush, a kind of an overall crime that was listed. I don't know that it got overly specific or had any types of additional measures to protect undocumented people within local jurisdictions. And so I guess what I'm wondering is within within us here in Long Beach, is it possible that we could develop an additional policy that focuses if if there were going to be a carve out, if the carve outs, let's say, in some cases in other jurisdictions, have been abused or could be abuse, could we have a policy that could be developed that would essentially create either either oversight or checks and balances or triggers within within our policy or law? In order to afford for the police department to actually at that point with those types of crimes, interact with the federal government. Mr. Mayor. Members of the City Council. A policy can can be developed. It can include supervisory or management oversight of anything that would come forward and be approved at the at higher levels within the police department. Okay. So what you're saying that if there is a that there could be a there could be a additional level of approval if there was going to be a a transfer that was going to take place, that it just wouldn't be automatic, but there could actually be a different level of protection or there could be a policy created that we could have to have some kind of approval at the highest level for that to occur. Yes. The only thing I would ask is to confer with the city attorney, make sure we're looking at SB 54 to make sure that that's possible. But based on the way you're describing it, it seems completely plausible to be able to do that. Okay. And I just want to just throw that out again, as I think there regardless of where and there's a lot of folks that are keyed up to speak. And so I'm not sure exactly where this will this will end tonight. But I just want to make sure, as we keep going, that we look at ways of strengthening beyond what we have with SB 54, that the mandate because I believe there are still additional ways that we can strengthen the law and create additional protections for undocumented members. So I think that would be one way. I think there are many opportunities beyond that that would be able to, I think, make make good beyond just be 54 and make a little bit stronger for us here locally. Let me keep going on on the speakers list, Councilmember Pearce.
Speaker 2: Thank you and thank you to my colleagues and Mayor and Chief Luna. Typically, I would have talking points right now, but this is definitely it did not see where the night was going. I want to first say how much again, it means to me that you guys came out that not only did we have residents that we see come out to a lot of these issues like Claudia's law, but that we had clergy in full force and more importantly, that we had the opportunity to hear from from attorneys, some attorneys that have taken a look at this and written, you know, I've got the letter from ACLU in front of me that's very easy to digest and a lot of points around what legally we can do as a city. And I think that coming up to tonight, there are a lot of questions. What we're hearing from PD on what is practice, where there's transparency and actual policy, where we get to see a policy that says this is what we actually do versus , you know, the situations are different. Every single situation is different whenever we have somebody in a community. And I remember in my first year in office getting the calls early in the morning about the Cambodians that were facing deportation and hiding out families that have lived here, hiding out in fear. And while that wasn't a situation where it looked like PD had somebody in custody and then communicated with ICE, it seemed to folks that there was some collaboration. And so I think that that's the message we need to make sure that we send tonight. I do not support the carve outs. I know that there are. I know that my my colleagues are listening to the discussion or digesting a lot of the information that you guys provided to us. And again, having legal letters in front of us definitely helps. And so I know that it seems like there's some movement on that, and I know that there's a very easy way for us to have that conversation. But there's already substitute motions and subsub motions. So what I'd like to ask a couple of questions just to get us coming from some of these letters and making sure, again , that we're having a transparent conversation. One of the questions that was brought up was that agencies allow in-custody transfers of office. And I know, Chief Luna, you already made mention that since you've been in your position that you don't have record of that. But is that in fact a policy not to collaborate? And I know some of this is going to you're going to hear it twice, just a little bit. I just want to make sure that we're getting the answers correct. Did you understand that question? Sorry. I wanted to conversation afterwards.
Speaker 0: Councilwoman Pryce or Pierce. I think I understood the question. And the answer to that is we follow SB 54 when it comes to the transfer of and a before before that.
Speaker 2: And so following that means that if there are exemptions, there are certain situations like federal crimes crimes in 15 years and that those those carve outs. Right. Are those exemptions, I should say.
Speaker 0: With SB 54, and I don't have it in front of me, but there is a clause in there that if you get rearrested and you had committed, I believe it's a felony in the last 15 years that SB 54 states that yeah, you can absolutely get deported.
Speaker 2: Okay. So what I have in front of me is that if it's a conviction for a serious or violent felony conviction for a felony that's punishable by imprisonment conviction within the last 15 years or any other specific. Yeah, well, I'm looking at some of the top ones that are that people have talked to me about recently and a conviction that's occurred in the last five years of a misdemeanor. So these are all opportunities that ICE would be able to come in and work with PD to to remove somebody. Is that correct?
Speaker 0: Yeah. I'm sorry. With the list of crimes like assault, battery use of threats, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation of a child, burglary, robbery, all those things are listed under there.
Speaker 2: And that's within 15 years. And so that as we move forward, I'm not going to be able to to vote yes on something tonight that still leaves those in there. If there's a move from the council to continue having this conversation. And I'm open and I want to say that I you know, I'm a mother. I'm somebody that has been a victim of violent crimes. I have a five year old daughter. I do not want to provide an opportunity for more violent crimes to happen. But I think it was said by, you know, one of my colleagues and also attorneys that we're here tonight. Immigration status has nothing to do with the crime that was committed and that we have seen people be rehabilitated. We've seen people be rehabilitated. We've seen change that has been able to happen. And so how are we as a society talking about rehabilitation and second chances? And I know it's something that another one of my colleagues cares deeply about our our prosecutor cares deeply about. And so what I'm interested in is that there's a conversation around instead of 15 years, that there's a small maybe there's not exactly what everybody in the room wants, but maybe it's five years. Is there a conversation that we can have here that brings us a Long Beach policy as a starting point, and that we can continue to have this conversation about what other items we have in here or don't have in here. And so I'm probably going to queue up again, but I want to hear what my colleagues are. And again, the carve outs are not something that I support. And I really appreciate all the efforts that my Councilmember Lena Gonzalez, have put in here. And I really support all of those and continuing to make sure that we're transparent, that we're working with PD on those conversations, but curious to hear what my colleagues are. Thank you.
Speaker 0: Thank you. Counts membership or not? Thank you. My topic was going to be the justice fund, but it was somewhat defined yesterday and certainly earlier this evening. But now it's become somewhat amorphous. So I'm not sure if this will make any sense. But my original objection to the way the fund funding mechanism was structured was, I understand why we didn't want to be part of the Los Angeles Justice Fund. We don't want to be a small fish in a big pond, so we come up with a legal defense fund. So my point was just continue that philosophy right down to the council office level. So for instance, for public works, we have something called divide by nine funds. So I just wanted to get my fair share for the folks in need in my district. And I met with the. City manager and deputy city manager yesterday. And they said, well, is it possible under this system? And that's that's a tough one for me. I guess the worst scenario for me would be to have a constituent in need and say, well, you know what? I don't think the money's in the fund, but I don't control it anyway. I hated a system that would potentially lead up to that. So I think we also have a discussion. Well, I don't know where that's going to go, but because the funding mechanism has been questioned tonight, I'll leave that one alone. Also, I found it interesting because we're talking about Cal State, Long Beach in terms of jurisdictional issues and the fourth District borders, Cal State, Long Beach. So we have that. But I think I count four other agencies that border my district alone. Our northern border is a four or five freeway. So that's the California Highway Patrol. I border Orange County. So that can be the Orange County sheriffs or Los Alamitos Police. Then I have a long border with the Signal Hill Police Department, and ironically, there's a large Cambodian population within the city of Signal Hill. So I think that speaks to the fact that these issues are more regional, are our state in nature, because it's tough to have all these different jurisdictions. I think that's all I have to say for now. Thank you. Thank you, Councilmember Vice Richardson.
Speaker 1: Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. And this has gotten to be a very, very complex conversation. I'm actually really enjoying enjoying this conversation. So, first of all, just thanks to everyone here who's given their stories, particularly, you know, I want to shout out Hilda, my ninth district resident here. Hilda is one of the most active leaders in North Long Beach. And, you know, from the Lions Club to the neighborhood associations to the healthy eating, active living hill zone. And thank you for stepping up and telling your story. I think you you nailed it for me in terms of the value that that folks, you know, that are undocumented or have a history of being different, immigration status, their contributions to our community. So thank you. And and Councilwoman Pryce, thank you for sharing your story as well. And that was really that was really interesting to hear hear your perspective, hear your story. That helps to help me understand where everyone is. I would say under normal circumstances and in normal times, we would encourage our local government to coordinate with other agencies. In normal times, these are not normal times. You know, frankly, these are not these are not normal times. And we have to protect the institution of government, the faith that folks have in the institution of government for a number of reasons. And a lot of them have been articulated. So I won't I won't repeat them. But we've seen when when states and cities have or have not done the right thing and the federal government has had to step in and help enforce state cities and states to do the right thing. I see this as sort of an inverse of that. And what I'm talking about is sort of the end of segregation, a number of things that were happening in the South. Many people don't know this, but I moved here from Alabama, from from the south. And, you know, we do have a history of understanding the difference. And when the federal government, state government and local government are on the same page, and I think we're just in one of those moments right now that we have to be very clear about the experience that we want our residents to have. And so just to be very clear, I support this policy. I support this policy. I want to be very clear that, you know, I didn't like you know, I want to better understand this situation and carve outs because the reason I signed on to this to begin with wasn't to create loopholes or wasn't to create opportunities to game the system. The opportunity. What we wanted to do was protect citizens and have confidence for all of our citizens to make sure that they they have confidence in their government. So I want to understand this a little bit more. So I'm just going to ask just a just a couple questions, Chief. Just walk me through just walk me through my understanding my understanding what went through what happens under two scenarios. One, someone gets stopped for non felony local issue that's under sort of our responsibility and our local prosecutors responsibility. Let's say it's a like a misdemeanor type citation or a citation, something like that. What happens from the moment an officer detains someone? Can you walk me through from that point from particularly from sort of information sharing with with ICE position?
Speaker 0: Oh, Vice Mayor Richardson Members of the City Council, if I understood your question correctly for for a misdemeanor citation, the officer would make contact, determine that a misdemeanor crime occurred and then probably run the subject either on the radio or in their computer to see if they have any outstanding warrants. And if they determine that they can be cited out and not taken into physical custody and to the station, they issue the citation. The citation has information on there that has to be filled out. The subject then signs a citation, they're released and the citation gets turned in to the station where it eventually makes its way through the to the court system. And then they're held they show up in court to answer to the charges if they are, in fact, factual or not. Basically, that's what happens from an information sharing perspective. If we're specifically talking about ice, it goes into our system and I'm trying to think really hard in regards to ice, getting that type of information because the person's not actually being booked into the L.A. County system. So their name doesn't pop up because if, for example, we change that hypothetical around and the individual actually gets taken to the booking facility, they do get life scanned. And that's where the that life scan portion is, where it goes into the county booking system. And then that does become available to ICE. And I'll stop right there because you probably have some questions.
Speaker 1: Okay. So at the live scan, so someone's getting booked, they get a live scan and that becomes public to all law enforcement agencies, is that correct?
Speaker 0: That's correct. You're you're you.
Speaker 1: Forcibly send this information to ICE?
Speaker 0: We do not send the information to ICE. The the life scan goes into the L.A. County booking system and becomes available to other law enforcement agencies. ICE is one of many tours.
Speaker 1: And so from there, let's say that this this person, we haven't checked their documentation status. We just do a live scan on everyone. And then let's say ICE reaches out and says, hey, we want this guy. What is the protocol there?
Speaker 0: So sorry about that. So we don't check documentation status at the Long Beach Police Department. That is not something that we check. We check criminal history. That's what we're interested in, but we're not interested in in legal status. Now, what would happen in the in the case that we're I'm giving you an example of ice. If they are interested in somebody, they would send us an immigration detainer notice of action. And it's basically a form that they would send to us telling us that they're interested. It's signed by an ICE agent. At that time, we determine one, does the individual that they're looking at even meet the criteria that we've been talking about for the last hour? Do they meet that criminal criteria? If they do, then we inform ICE that if they want this individual, they have to provide a court order in order to retrieve this individual. That's what I talked about earlier, that in my last three and a half years, I have we have not seen one court order that was presented to us where we turned somebody over.
Speaker 1: So at that point, so you've live scanned them. Ice reaches out and says, we're interested in this individual. Then they have to produce a formal request from their agency. We don't act on that request. We push back and say, you have it has to come from the court. It has to be a a court action, a court order to respond. Correct.
Speaker 0: We have additional requirements. And if they meet them, then that happens. And if they don't, they don't get them. And they haven't gotten anybody in at least the three the last three and a half years.
Speaker 1: And here's where I'm unclear. And Mr. City attorney under was in front of us tonight. Will that step change at all? Because, you know, what I'm hearing is that we do not provide the information unless there's a court order under the motion, under the law. And these values act, no matter what the crime is carved out, not carved out. Does that process change at that point?
Speaker 5: Well, I think what you just said at the very end would change it. But if we are currently in compliance with SB 54 and we would remain in compliance with SB 54 tonight. So so the answer would be no. The process would not change if it's current. So we.
Speaker 1: Don't give. We don't we don't turn anyone over to ice unless there's a court order and there haven't been court orders.
Speaker 5: That's that is one way. Yes. That with a court order, we would we would turn the individual over to ICE. And we have not received a court order that I'm aware of.
Speaker 1: Do we have the legal ability to say if there's a court order from a court that we don't turn them over?
Speaker 5: No, we would be in contempt of the court order.
Speaker 1: So from a legal standpoint, there's no way once the courts get involved, you have to local cities have to comply.
Speaker 5: That is correct.
Speaker 1: Okay. So at this point, we haven't I'm trying to figure out where the carve out exists, because right now, whether it's a you know, someone that's in that kind of carve out category or not, the question is if the court or some if the courts require us to take action, we don't have any I mean, we don't we don't have a choice.
Speaker 5: Well, I think one of the distinctions would be with with the exceptions under SB 54. Law enforcement has discretion. If you remove that discretion from them by a policy, then they couldn't do some of these enumerated things.
Speaker 1: So I'm still. Mr. Chief, could you clarify that a little bit more?
Speaker 0: Yes. Sorry about that. Yes. So what I have explained to you is the way our process works. SB 54. Allows us to look at a certain set of circumstances, and I could read those to you if you'd like. And based on those circumstances, we can turn somebody over to ICE.
Speaker 1: And are all those circumstances federal like felony level circumstances? I'm going to look.
Speaker 0: For my piece of paper. And I'll read one portion of it. But it's never healthy to read one piece because you got to get the whole picture of it. Says The individual has been convicted within the past five years of a misdemeanor for a crime that is punishable as either a misdemeanor or a felony for or has been convicted within the last 15 years of a felony for any of the following offenses. And that's the one that I started to list. There are some very serious, significant crimes on this list. And as you are trying to look at this policy and evaluate it. I think it's very dangerous for us to limit what your police department can do. The tools you have, you are taking tools away from us in a toolbox when we're trying to deal with crime. And I'm not suggesting that crime is only committed by undocumented immigrants. It's it's it's all across the board. I. I'm going to leave it at that. And you ask more questions.
Speaker 1: Listen, I. I mean, what is what I like, what I heard tonight that I like is that we should be treating everyone the same one way or the other document if they commit. I mean, but that age court cut, that sort cuts both ways. I mean, frankly and Councilwoman Price said it, if, you know, if someone committed the crime and they did it, we should treat it a certain way. I think the question is how we treat it. And if it's a felony, I and as I understand it, we don't even prosecute felonies in the city. We do misdemeanors to a prosecutor and the D.A. handles felonies. That correct?
Speaker 0: That is correct.
Speaker 1: So how does that translate when I'm under I'm not a prosecutor. I don't understand this piece. But what happens from how what does the transition from, say, our shop to the D.A. shop? How does that work? Like if let's say let's say it is a felony. Right. And this is something that we know our prosecutors are going to handle. It's a big deal. Crime probably falls in a list. How does how does it end up in your shop, Mr. Chief? To the prosecutor shop. How does that happen?
Speaker 0: So what happens in the field is that a police officer will take a crime report or a department record that depending on the crime. So if you're dealing, for example, with assault, sexual abuse or child abuse or robbery, those crime or I'm sorry, those reports will go to the individual detective detail that handles those crimes. Okay. Once they evaluate it to make sure the elements of the crime are there, they may have to do further investigation at that. At the point that case is ready to be presented, they decide again, based on the elements, is it going to go be presented to the district attorney's office here in Long Beach, or is it going to be presented to the city prosecutor here in Long Beach? If hypothetically, we go to the district attorney's office and they don't feel the elements are there, they will either decline the case or refer it to the city prosecutor because they may believe that a lesser crime may have occurred. Does that answer your question?
Speaker 1: No, it does. That really illuminates things for me. So I think the issue here, you know, I mean, signs and politics aside, I just think I just think the issue here is sort of we already if it's a significant crime, we already know we're not going to be the ones to handle that. It's going to be the county. And there's a process in place for that. And I think anybody who commits a crime should be punished or, you know, this should be handled right. I mean, we should address crime in our city. I think the issue is at what point we hand them over to ICE. And I think with the council saying, I think what the public is saying and what I what I think we should where should we should try to get to, frankly, in all the motions we're taking. I can't make another motion here. I think we try to get to is we evaluate if there's just simply away. If they meet this criteria, it goes directly to the D.A. to try to treat them the way you would treat anyone, regardless of documentation status, that we just treat sort of anyone who commits a crime. Documents, as, you know, blind to documentation status, we treat them the same. And I don't know I don't know if that's something that city council can just. I don't know if that's something we could figure out, like on the dias, like wing it. But I think I think that's, in my opinion, that's kind of where we should be talking about. And I don't know if there's an easy way to.
Speaker 0: Well, if I understand what you're saying is, please remember that within the SB 54 and what we're talking about, if this wasn't clear in the previous, is you've got an individual with a past record. Yeah. In order to go with SB 54, they have to be re-arrested for something else that they've done. Now. They're at the end of the day though. Yeah. That carve out says convicted of not arrested for.
Speaker 1: So we have to be convicted.
Speaker 0: Of the crime.
Speaker 1: On the set the first offense or that second when you stop.
Speaker 0: Them for the second, first and second.
Speaker 1: So if the second crime is a murder or something like that, that's listed in this group. So if someone committed the crime, let's say you committed something, you did serve their time, whatever you got out, and then you do a lesser offense on the second incident. And that's not a felony, just a traffic stop. Right. And you end up getting live scanned on that traffic stop. Do we would we under under this law because of their past, would we have to comply with ICE? What we have.
Speaker 0: Not for a traffic stop. But if you were you committed murder and you did your time and then you go out and commit another crime, say you commit sexual abuse. That is one of the crimes listed on this list. So if you get convicted of that sexual abuse, then that's when SB 54 kicks in and you get deported.
Speaker 1: But that wouldn't be that wouldn't be us. That would be the district attorney. The court conviction.
Speaker 0: Would be through the district attorney's office.
Speaker 1: So I think I think we're at a point I mean, if you just said that, we wouldn't be actionable on that anyway because we'll be the D.A.. Right. Because if it's a conviction on one of those laws, those are all the laws, right?
Speaker 0: Well, the conviction would have to come through the at least in our case, the L.A. County District Attorney's Office.
Speaker 1: So I'm going to look just this way, because I'm not in a position to make a motion. But what I'm hearing right here is that what I'm hearing right here is that, frankly, it wouldn't happen in our shop because it would happen when it got to the next step. Maybe I don't want to give up the floor, but I would like like some like clarity from from Lina and from from Suzy because it seems like it seems like there's not much of a difference from a procedural standpoint here.
Speaker 0: But.
Speaker 1: I am. I am I am I here now?
Speaker 7: So. So if I can just attempt to. I understand what you're asking him. And the SB.
Speaker 2: 54.
Speaker 3: Is.
Speaker 7: Designed to prevent local law enforcement from sharing immigration information with federal immigration authorities.
Speaker 2: But if there's a category.
Speaker 7: Of enumerated crimes, then they have the discretion to. Not that they will, but they have the discretion to share that information. It doesn't matter how the case gets prosecuted.
Speaker 2: Or if the case.
Speaker 7: Gets prosecuted. SB 54 is designed to prevent local law enforcement from communicating with federal immigration authorities. So what happens is, if you're a prosecutor and I know there's at least a couple of attorneys in the audience who who can attest to this, but if you're a prosecutor, you're going to get a police agency if if federal immigration authorities find out that someone has.
Speaker 2: A is is is here illegally.
Speaker 7: Then they will put an ice hold on the individual, which means if they get arrested, there is an ice hold on there. If they know of the federal authorities know that the person's illegal. They'll have haven't they'll put an ice hold on them so that they cannot be released without going to ice. Right. It doesn't matter if it goes to the prosecution office or not or if.
Speaker 1: They can be released.
Speaker 2: They can't be.
Speaker 7: Released if there's an ice hold. That's what an ice hold means, is that they can't be free. They can't just walk out of the jail. They have to be released to the custody of federal immigration authorities because there's a federal immigration hold on there basically for the days that would show up on the rap sheet. It would say ice holder would show up on our file. Basically, we know that's the only way we would know if someone is there, their citizenship status. But. SB 54 it doesn't matter if it's at the local H police agency level, at the DA's office, at the city prosecutor's office. It doesn't matter because it's about information sharing and how that information gets to federal immigration authorities. So I got what you were trying to say, but actually that information can come before the item goes to and I might be wrong on some of this, but am I wrong on some of this? Okay.
Speaker 2: Okay.
Speaker 5: Sorry. Okay.
Speaker 0: Maybe before you guys jump.
Speaker 1: Jump in. I think the point here is that I think there is more to this conversation about. The car was I want to better understand it and I'd like to give direction to city attorney, to the police chief to figure out how to get it done. And what I mean is like, in a way that because there's there's and correct me if I'm wrong, but I like to, you know, sort of preserve the rights of workers as well. But is this is there anything related to this that might trigger any type of meat and confer process?
Speaker 5: The answer is yes, depending on what you direct to do. If if you are eliminating the exceptions or the carve outs, then you are. We are back to meeting confer with the unions because you've changed the conditions working condition. Yes.
Speaker 1: So I think there is a step in this direction we can get to that respects the parties at the table. I haven't heard anybody here say that we want criminals to to go free. I think what I've heard is I've heard people say, frankly, we don't want to be in a position to directly sort of participate in deportation actions. Right. But that doesn't mean we want to stop a step in prosecution for someone who's committed a heinous crime in our community. I think there's a difference there. So what I'm saying is I think I think, you know, Lina's motion and I think she's cued up is going to say some more stuff. I want to hear more. I'd love to see them work that out. So I want to just, like, stick a pin in that for now and go to because this I think there's something there. I want to go to the the fund part. So. So I know that cities do establish funds and charities non-profits thing like our health department has Long Beach cares and they do a lot of work that, you know, they can't do within the city, you know? You know, you've got partners of parks. You've got other things. So I think there is a way to do a fund and I support a fund. And if we're able to figure it out in our budget to use public resources to do it legally, then I want to do that. I think we should make that statement. I support that. We did hear today, though we did hear today, though, that the city attorney said he that the step is they have to come back to with we have to give clear direction and come back. So I'm just going to ask Councilwoman Gonzalez, because I'm supporting your motion. I'm going to ask, are you okay with sort of adding that city attorney gets the word, you know, city attorney, city manager gets to vet that out and bring it so we can actually establish it.
Speaker 3: Can that out the what is it?
Speaker 1: So separate out the the fund. So city attorney says we have to. And city attorney correct me but didn't you just say for us to move forward with that? It wouldn't you couldn't actually do it. Tonight was just the direction.
Speaker 5: That is correct. The the action tonight and the agenda item tonight doesn't allow you to actually establish the defense fund. We don't have enough details and information in front of you this evening for the council to take an action on. We would need to come back to you with how is the fund going to be established? Who's our partner going to be selective, all of those details so that the council then can decide whether they like that proposal, want to amend or change that proposal. So this evening, you could certainly give direction to staff and to my office to investigate that defense fund. And you had mentioned in your motion a 250,000 in the staff report. It talked about 100,000, whatever dollar amount you wanted us to look at. And then it would come back to the city council for a vote to establish that fund that the dollar amount you determine to be appropriate.
Speaker 1: So like separate so we can put the fund on one track and the sanctuary policy on a different track.
Speaker 3: Sure, we can do that. I'd like to hear from colleagues, but absolutely I.
Speaker 0: All right. Well.
Speaker 1: Those are my comments. Thank you, everybody. I think this is I think it's a healthy conversation.
Speaker 0: I learned a lot here.
Speaker 1: But I think in general, like the reason we proposed this was to keep people safe and to not coordinate with with with ice. And thank you to the community for helping us better understand this issue. I didn't hear understand anything about carve outs until about 48 hours ago. So you community organizers keep up the good work in informing you're speaking power to leadership and and we understand you. We hear you. But thank you.
Speaker 0: Thank you, Councilman Price.
Speaker 7: Okay, so I'd like to hear from the city attorney, because I think maybe Vice Mayor Richardson and I were talking about very different things. I know there's some correction that needs to be made in terms of the procedure of SB 54. So if the city attorney could clarify that, that would be great.
Speaker 5: So I think on a couple of things, I think the chief was indicating that you needed a conviction on the second arresting offense. And the way I read and interpret 54, that's not correct. If the person is arrested and put into the system, then with these carve outs, there could be the cooperation if there are these enumerated crimes, as everyone's been discussing. So that was the first issue. The second issue was that you brought up was the ice hold prevents the release. That is my understanding. It is not correct and is not how it's handled, at least in Long Beach, in that if ICE does notify us of an administrative hold on that person, we tell them you need to get a judicial warrant for us to hold the individual. We are not going to hold them past the release date. And that's very clear. I think the law is very clear on that. And so we do not there is not a hold put on a. Person because I said there's an ice hold. So that was, I think. Yes, statement. Yes. So those are the two items. And then if you had another question.
Speaker 7: Now, so what I'm talking about is an ice hold. That is a judicial determination that there's an ice hold that appears on their rap sheet or other place because it's been judicially identified as a hold so that the person, the custodial entity, whether it be the L.A. County Sheriff Sheriff's Office or whatever county sheriff's office they can't release if there's been a judicial order to hold the individual. Okay. So so.
Speaker 2: Without.
Speaker 7: What I'd like to do is, is, is, is make a friendly motion because I think there is definitely and the record should be very clear on this. Definitely some agreement here that we want to protect information sharing, that we want to protect people from being able to talk to the police. We want to encourage that. So what I'd like to do is make a friendly to remove the funding for a legal defense fund from the current motion to bifurcate it and have that be a second motion that we can vote on in regards to what happens with the funding of a legal defense fund, because I know for me, I support and will will actually work to do whatever I can to help put money into that legal defense fund. But I think for the city, given the fact that we're talking about deficits in 2019 and we just had a meeting two weeks ago where we talked about some best case scenario assumptions that would allow us to not have to lay off employees. Every single dollar is going to mean something and every one of our departments is going to be competing for money right now. And even though 100,000 or $250,000 may not seem like a lot of money, I can tell you our police department, our fire department, our Parks and Rec and our public works and our libraries could find something to do with that $250,000. So we're going to be competing for funds. So what I would like to do is separate and bifurcate the funding option so that we can, you know, maybe evaluate that in another time. So that's my friendly to my colleague.
Speaker 0: Good council member.
Speaker 3: GONZALEZ Yes. Given the discussions going on today, I think as you can see, a lot of us are, you know, going back and forth, but it's with good reason. We want to make sure we get this right. And so with that, absolutely, I'll accept your friendly amendment. Thank you.
Speaker 0: Councilwoman Mongo. We're going to keep going through the speakers. Councilman Mongo.
Speaker 2: Well, here we are. I would just like to say that. To get clarity of the motion on the floor. It's to enumerate the policies. Would you outline.
Speaker 5: If I if I may, as has just amended, we've divided the question. And so the motion is to adopt staff's recommendation, including the special order as described between the chief and the council member from the First District to make that special order public, to make the resolution, if adopted, available to all the city departments and encourage their adoption. Six five to provide regular updates to the City Council on the legislative efforts at the state and federal level. And six, to join the Welcome America America Initiative. And then the Legal Defense Fund would be separated out of that question and a separate motion and action would be taken on the legal defense fund.
Speaker 2: Okay. I'll also say that in law enforcement, I have felt that it is so important that the community are our eyes and ears. There are never going to be enough police officers to keep everyone safe. And that more often the victims of crime are actually immigrants. And so we need to continue under the current version of SB 54 to be partners with our community and ensure that they feel safe working with local law enforcement. A felon is a felon. Is a felon. Regardless of where you came from, where you live, if you are a predator in our community, I'm very appreciative of our men and women in blue who are out there working hand in hand in those communities to make sure that we're safe. I, too, am open to helping support the nonprofit development. Long Beach is a very, very generous city. When you talk about $250,000, I will tell you over the last three years, it has taken Councilmember Andrews years to build up the four afterschool programs and summer youth programs and the Parks After Dark program. And to get four parks after dark program. That is $250,000. It took four years to build a program that we know is universally used and supported. And when we do have to make those tough choices, I believe that those decisions should be done through a budget process. And we have fiscal policies in the city about making budget adjustments outside of that process. And so I appreciate bifurcating the issue and potentially either referring it to Budget Oversight Committee or another method. But we don't allocate funds mid-year. It's not a smart way to budget personally and or as $1,000,000,000 city that is responsible for so many. And when when you talk about our workers that are working hard to make a living and we have tough decisions to make, it's important that we protect those who have stood with us. And we want to also protect those who want to stand with us. And so we want to move forward. So with that, I appreciate the dialog and. Look forward to finding a way for us to unite as a community behind something that the community finds as important. And that's how we we can all put our money where our mouth is, because every single person here can pitch in in a similar way to the way that we are looking to help fund our small businesses and our immigrant communities. Through social crowd crowdfunding, we can help fund the legal defense fund.
Speaker 0: Guys, everyone gets a chance to speak. So, Councilmember Yallingup.
Speaker 5: Thank you, Mayor. I knew that if I waited long enough, we'd come around to some sense. But, you know, unfortunately, I disagree with a lot of a lot of some comments that were made here, because I believe justice is not blind, given the fact that the high number of blacks and Latinos in our jails basically says is not colorblind. And why is it that we know when we're talking about this issue here, we're talking about, you know, Latinos or people of color with an issue with their immigration status and that we have to report that out and we have to to turn them over to ICE and to immigration. Again, people of color. I disagree with that. I have I have issues with a car, but I really do because some of the crime boats that are here, some of the crimes, I don't see them reaching that level of having to be deported. For example, a DUI, embezzlement, forgery.
Speaker 0: Those are I see those as perhaps white collar type crimes. And I see and you know, there are some people in jails now that I wish I could deport. Right. He'll be back. He'll go back to Europe, twitching in despair. But you know that in at the risk of saying racist race only races, this is a little reversal type.
Speaker 5: Of thing here. But.
Speaker 0: But the bottom the bottom line is, is that, you know, SB 54 went through its struggles.
Speaker 5: I was there. I supported SB 54 when it came to us, what, a year and a half, two years ago, I supported putting it there and I supported Citrulline, which being part of the number of cities that supported it because I thought it was it's a good it's a good policy to have. But now that we're here with our Own Values Act, we have to talk about our values and what we stand for in Long Beach. You know, we're always talking about the Long Beach way and how we do things differently. And we need to look at those carve outs in a different way, in a way that it's much more justifiable for those that get who are in danger of being deported because of their their status, legal status here or not and because of the level krone did.
Speaker 0: You know.
Speaker 5: I was I was concerned Janine Pearce took it from me in the sense that, well, maybe we.
Speaker 0: Should look at, you know, instead of 15 years, we should look at five, make it even stronger, make it even.
Speaker 5: Less of a time span. I mean, I know.
Speaker 0: Some of these crimes have have.
Speaker 5: Term limits. For example, what is it? Do you wait if you.
Speaker 0: Don't get a second conviction.
Speaker 5: Within the ten years, it's like it goes away and you start fresh again. Why can we do something like that? What's some of these other ones? Like fraud or or embezzlement? Now, there are some crimes because of the nature of their their seriousness that maybe that we do need to to look at those more seriously and consider if you are an undocumented person and you committed a serious.
Speaker 0: Crime, maybe you should be kicked.
Speaker 5: Out of this country. But again, it's we're looking at possibilities of of deporting someone that you did it the first time for first time or so we do we have a3a3 strikes law on deportations. I don't think we do it when we're in your pocket once and ice comes and says it, put a hold on you. You're out, you're gone. It doesn't matter. So anyway, I have no issue with that. With the carve outs, I'm not going to be voting for that only because, like I say, it's it's it's it's a slippery slope. I really don't really agree with it. I think we could do better. 15 years is an extremely long time. We should look at modifying it in terms of maybe having it strengthen it. And we were talking earlier about strengthening some of these things, and I think that would be going a long way in strengthening the carve outs. As far as a legal defense fund, I'm totally in favor of it and I'm glad that we're separating that out because that's a to me, that's a separate issue regarding to in terms of the carve outs and and establishing a defense fund. So I will totally support that. Thank you.
Speaker 0: Thank you. Counselor appears.
Speaker 2: I told you guys I'd be back on. Okay. So I think what's really clear is that we've had this conversation once before and that it was a conversation around SB 54. This is our second conversation where we're really, as the vice mayor mentioned, having the discussion around what carve outs mean. And so we heard from you guys, no carve outs, but I still don't feel like we've had a transparent conversation with PD, with our city attorney and with our counsel. That really means that we all understand all of those components. And so I, I feel like we're not really prepared to have that up or down vote on the carve outs or not. And so I want to make sure that we all have the opportunity to have that in a transparent, open way. I would like to ask if we could have the vote today on both the items and then direct the staff to come back and do a presentation from PD on clear on what all those items are that are carved out, particularly in sections three, B, four D, four F in 4G. And I'm not going to go back and read them all because it's already late. But if we could come back and have a conversation where all the councilmembers and myself included, feel like we're having a thoughtful discussion and vote on those carve outs, that today we move forward with what we have. So voting I would vote yes for that if we could come back and have that conversation.
Speaker 3: Council Member Yes, we can absolutely have that conversation.
Speaker 2: Thank you very much for that. I do want just on the conversation. And around the financing and that discussion. I do have a lot of concerns and questions as well around giving that to a nonprofit or is it a city based or county based? I look forward to that thorough discussion. So with the coming back from staff, coming back with the police chief to have a thorough discussion around all the carve outs, I will be voting yes for this. Does that make sense? Yes.
Speaker 0: Councilman Andrews? Yes. Thank you, Mayor. I think everyone up there I've had a chance to listen to everyone, you know, conversations about what they think they should and should not be. I think it's very fortunate we have a staff to work on an item of this type, because the fact that, you know, we have a city made up of people from very unique backgrounds and the walk of life, you know, like refuge seekers. We all as people grew up here and the families that are, you know, relocated and the search for jobs and new opportunities, you know, I think just with that said, you know, this is very you know, this is the various effort we put towards celebrating the diversity. And I think is this is the time that we must use to protect that. You know, I've listened to all of these things, and I'm sure you have to and I know you're waiting for the vote, because, remember, this vote doesn't mean that these things are going to happen. It's just to let you realize that we are, you know, really supporting, you know, like I say, a sanctuary city. I think that's a no brainer. You know, but the thing about it, we have to follow certain laws. And I'm so glad that Nina and Mrs. President, the authorities on this, the agenda item, I want to thank you guys for doing a fantastic job. And I'm here to support whatever we have to do, you know, to make these things work. Thank you again. Okay. Thank you. And then our last last speaker is Councilman Gonzales.
Speaker 3: Okay. So we're going to tie this up together. And I just, again, want to thank you all. I don't want to, you know, go on too too long. But it looks like we have something on our plates here. So keeping with our subsub motion that asks for the special order that asks for to update our city resolution with that various departments, we'll keep that as one motion.
Speaker 5: Yes. Councilmember, if I could on if if maybe I don't understand. And updating the resolution the way I understood it would be it's accepting stamps for, I guess, recommendations. You're requesting the police chief to create or to update a special order.
Speaker 3: Correct.
Speaker 5: And can make that public. So on the website. So the special order would be a public document out on the website.
Speaker 3: As well as our policy, whatever we pass.
Speaker 2: Today.
Speaker 5: Yes, absolutely.
Speaker 2: Which is sort of the same.
Speaker 3: But I just want to make sure that.
Speaker 5: We wouldn't be bringing in if you adopt this evening, we wouldn't be bringing the resolution that's attached to the agenda item tonight. Back to you. We would be coming back, it sounds like, with a report on SB 54, and then we'll talk about the legal fund.
Speaker 3: Yes, SB 54 carve outs that were mentioned, bringing that back. So we have a presentation on that. That is the first motion. And then the second motion would be to address the fund legal defense fund.
Speaker 5: Yes. After after this motion, if the councilmember from the first District would have the floor to make the motion on. However, she would like to go forward on the defense fund.
Speaker 2: Okay.
Speaker 0: Okay. Councilman Price.
Speaker 7: Okay. So I'm just clarifying right now that we are we're adopting an expansion of SB 54 in terms of its applicability to other city departments. Yes, we are not eliminating the carve out exception. Exception. That's in 54.
Speaker 5: That we are keeping those in. Correct.
Speaker 7: Okay. And we're not right now, by way of this motion, putting any money into a legal defense fund.
Speaker 5: That will be the subject of the second motion. Yes.
Speaker 3: Great.
Speaker 2: Thank you.
Speaker 0: Okay. And thank you, Councilmember Pearce.
Speaker 2: Just one more clarifying. We are at the time that staff comes back, could have that conversation around our carve outs then, but that we're not having that full conversation on each item today. But for the community members to know that carve out conversation is ongoing is what I wanted to clarify.
Speaker 5: Well, I think yes. I mean, you're having a continued conversation, but the action this evening will keep the in Long Beach Values Act as adopted by council if it passes this evening would have that language in it. And the way I understand your motion and as amended and accepted, would be that you're requesting the Chief of Police and staff to come back to council for a further discussion of those particular of the carve outs contained in SB 54, specifically the 70 to 82.5.
Speaker 2: Thank you.
Speaker 0: Okay. There's I'm we're going to take the vote first on the first part of that motion, which is the actual Sanctuary Language Values Act, piracy. Ah, with the friendly amendments made by both Councilwoman Susie Price and Councilwoman Janine Pearce, that is the first vote. So Members, please cast your votes on that.
Speaker 2: Motion carries.
Speaker 0: Okay. So that so that passes. So that is the the sanctuary policy, the first part of that of the motion. That's the Values Act that was as presented by staff and described with the with the additions that Councilmember Gonzales described. The second vote right now is on.
Speaker 3: My apologies. Can we clarify the timeline to bring that back as well, to make sure that it comes back within 30 days, if not before, as soon as possible?
Speaker 0: Councilmember We have an eight day agenda.
Speaker 5: So in order to do this and all of our city council items have to go before the city attorney, the finance better to do that so have to get in 30.
Speaker 0: Days act is this basically like five.
Speaker 5: Days to do this. So we will do the college try and we'll give you an update where we are with 30 days. But I can't promise that we'll have anything that.
Speaker 3: Okay, well, let's try and then we'll go forward from there.
Speaker 0: You. I mean, the vote happened, so we can't. So many people.
Speaker 2: Put it.
Speaker 0: Out. Just want to make sure. Okay. So. So the the motion pass six two on the proposed language values act four that's passed. The second motion is on the legal defense fund as proposed by Councilwoman Gonzales. Do we any clarification on what that motion was exactly?
Speaker 5: I don't have a second.
Speaker 0: And I think there is there's a second on the motion.
Speaker 5: Thank you. And it's to direct staff to investigate the defense fund as a universal defense fund in the amount of $250,000 and report back to counsel with options to establish that fund.
Speaker 0: Councilmember. That's a motion. Okay. So that's the that's the second motion to explore the defense from the set to come back. Members, please cast your votes on on the on the second motion. Motion carries that carries as well so that that both both emotions carry. And with that motions, we were going to take a recess. And we'll start with rest of the agenda after that. Thank you. Okay. If I can have everyone, please. We're going to rejoin the meeting. If we want to be part of the meeting, we'll grab a seat. If you want to chat, please exit the council chambers. We can start the meeting if you want to continue to chat. If we can just please exit the council chambers and we're going to go and start the meeting in just a minute.
Speaker 6: We're going to.
Speaker 0: We're going to call you back to order. Madam Court, please call.
Speaker 2: Councilwoman Gonzalez. Councilmember Pierce. Councilwoman Price. Councilmember Supernanny. Councilwoman Mongo. Councilman Andrews. Councilmember Arango.
Speaker 0: Present.
Speaker 2: Councilman Austin.
Speaker 3: Vice Mayor Richardson. Mayor Garcia.
Speaker 0: Okay, I'm here. So we have to go back to the first hearing, which we didn't do at the start. And so hearing that we are going to a quorum for a quorum, they're.
Recommendation to receive and file a report on the Long Beach Values Act; and 

Adopt resolution entitled the "Long Beach Values Act of 2018" regarding procedures for the requesting, collecting, maintaining, and disclosing of sensitive information and the enforcement of federal immigration law.  (Citywide)