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Lacey resident urges council to declare city a sanctuary for immigrants and transgender residents
Summary
At the Feb. 25 Lacey council work session, resident and Commission on Equity member John Hegwood urged the council to adopt a formal sanctuary-city stance for both immigrants and transgender people, saying such a move would provide a clear signal of the city’s values and protections.
John Hegwood, a Lacey resident who identified himself as a commissioner on the city’s Commission on Equity and a board member of the Modern Military Association of America, used the council’s public-comment period on Feb. 25 to urge the City of Lacey to adopt a sanctuary-city policy for immigrants and for transgender people.
Hegwood told the council that while municipal powers are limited, a sanctuary designation “sends a clear and visible signal to everyone what our city is about and what values we have.” He said such a policy would reassure immigrant communities “that our city will not pursue them based on citizenship status” and would ensure that police “are only to collect information on a reported crime, not to separate their family.”
On transgender protections, Hegwood said a sanctuary stance “shows our city's commitment to gender affirming care, self expression, and the right to self determination,” and that it would demonstrate that “trans people should be celebrated, not persecuted.” He referenced prior council proclamations, including a transgender remembrance proclamation and an anti-hate proclamation, and said a sanctuary designation would build on that work.
Hegwood concluded his remarks by quoting poet Amanda Gorman: “For there was always light, if only we're brave enough to see it. If only we're brave enough to be it.” He did not present a draft ordinance or a specific policy language; council members did not take formal action during the public-comment period.
The council did not respond with a motion tied to Hegwood’s request during the work session. The remarks were recorded as part of the public-comment docket and may inform future agenda items or policy discussions.
