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Public comment urges police to cease routine immigration cooperation; council notes federal and state legal limits
Summary
A public commenter urged the City Council to direct the police department to stop cooperating with federal immigration authorities except for felony warrants; council later noted federal statute and a new state law constrain municipal ability to prohibit such cooperation.
During public comment, a resident urged the council to “direct the police department to cease cooperation with federal immigration authorities, except in the instance of a felony warrant.” The speaker emphasized the request twice during remarks to council. Later in the meeting several council members and staff clarified the legal limits on such a directive. Council discussion referenced 8 U.S.C. §1373, a federal provision addressing information sharing about immigration status, and staff noted a recent state law requires peace officers to be able to determine immigration status under certain circumstances, leaving decisions about cooperation in the hands of officers and subject to federal and state law. City staff advised that the city cannot unilaterally prohibit lawful information sharing and described state statute that authorizes officers, upon reasonable suspicion, to determine immigration status when practicable. The council did not take any formal action on the public comment; the remarks were entered into the record.
