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Students, community members urge 2-mile protected zones; Santa Maria officials say city lacks authority, may back state bills
Summary
Dozens of students and community members urged the Santa Maria City Council on Feb. 18 to establish a two-mile zone around schools, parks, hospitals and places of worship to protect residents from federal immigration enforcement.
Dozens of students and community members urged the Santa Maria City Council on Feb. 18 to establish a two-mile zone around schools, parks, hospitals and places of worship to protect residents from federal immigration enforcement.
The request came during the public-comment period, when speakers described fear among immigrant families and asked the council to act to prevent detentions near sensitive sites. Jesus Herrera Romero, who said he marched more than two hours to the meeting, told the council: "Our nation is built on immigration, not deportation." Several student speakers asked the council to adopt the protection immediately and repeated the two-mile figure.
Mayor Alice Patino and city staff told the audience that while the…
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