Public commenters urge sanctuary protections and accuse officials of mixed messaging on immigration

Several residents used the council’s public comment period to press elected officials to protect immigrants and to formalize sanctuary protections.

Brenda Bickerstaff opened the public comment series with a plea for attention to violence and a critique of political outreach. “Do not vote for him,” she said while referring to a political figure, and she asked council to “help us” when communities do not receive support following visits by political leaders.

Juan Collado Diaz said he appreciated council members who had spoken in support of immigrants and urged the mayor to work directly with Cleveland Metropolitan School District officials and the Cleveland Division of Police to keep immigrant students safe. “I do ask for you directly, mister mayor, to work with CMSD, the police, and this body here to make sure that our immigrants are protected, safe, and can live in a city that they can call home,” Diaz said.

Matthew Ahn, who identified himself as a former candidate for Ward 3 council, asked council to formalize a sanctuary policy in writing. Ahn cited a pending state bill (HB 26) he said could reduce municipal funding for cities that do not enact certain immigration policies. “I urge this mayor as well as council to formalize sanctuary policy in a legally binding manner as soon as possible,” Ahn said. He also noted the Associated Press style guidance on terminology when describing immigrants.

Why it matters: Speakers argued that local policy and clear written protections matter for the safety of immigrant residents and could affect trust in public institutions. Several commenters tied protections to school- and police-related policies and to possible state-level funding implications.

The council did not take immediate formal action on a sanctuary ordinance during the meeting; the remarks were recorded during the public comment period and forwarded to the appropriate committees by record.