Burbank council directs staff to draft citywide sanctuary policy extending SB 54 protections

The Burbank City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to ask staff to draft a citywide policy extending the principles of California's SB 54 (the California Values Act) across all city departments and to publish public "know your rights" information for residents.

Assistant City Manager Courtney Padgett told the council that "the term Sanctuary City refers to jurisdictions that adopt policies to protect undocumented immigrants by limiting jurisdictional cooperation with Federal Immigration Enforcement," and reviewed current state laws that already limit local cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

The vote follows nearly three hours of public comment, during which dozens of residents urged the council to adopt stronger local protections. "I support Burbank becoming a sanctuary city," said Vicki Kirschenbaum, introducing herself as a long-time resident, echoing many callers and speakers who said fear of immigration enforcement has reduced reporting of crimes and use of medical and school services.

Nut graf: Council members said they wanted to give city staff clear direction without exceeding the city's authority or jeopardizing federal funding. The motion approved as a first step asks staff to draft a formal resolution codifying citywide policies modeled on SB 54 and local Police Department Policy 428, to prohibit routine collection of immigration status data unless strictly necessary for a city service, and to make informational outreach and "know your rights" materials broadly available.

What the council approved: Mayor Nikki Perez made the motion, which Council Member Chris Rosati seconded, to ask staff to bring back a draft resolution that would (a) apply the city police department's SB 54-based practices citywide, (b) explicitly prohibit routine collection of immigration-status data by city departments except where required to provide a specific service, and (c) direct staff to publish clear guidance and conduct outreach ("know your rights" workshops) in coordination with community groups. The motion passed 5-0.

Staff and legal context: Padgett's presentation reviewed state law protections, including SB 54 (California Values Act), Assembly Bill 450 (immigrant worker protections) and AB 291 (wage-theft protections), and noted the city currently administers roughly $30 million in active federal grants for projects spanning housing, energy and transportation. Padgett warned that recent federal executive actions and memos directing U.S. Attorneys to investigate sanctuary jurisdictions create legal uncertainty nationally, so the council must weigh legal and budgetary risks alongside public-safety and equity considerations.

City Attorney staff clarified the council was considering a "first step" direction, not adoption of an ordinance that night. Several speakers who work in immigration law told the council that longstanding constitutional limits on federal commandeering (Tenth Amendment) and court decisions make it legally permissible for cities and states to decline to participate in federal immigration enforcement; they also warned that local compliance with ICE detainers can create liability when probable cause is lacking.

Council response and next steps: Council members who spoke supported a careful, narrowly tailored approach that would not instruct city employees to obstruct lawful federal actions but would make explicit how the city will use its resources. Council members asked staff to return with a draft resolution (not an ordinance) that codifies current police practice citywide, clarifies limits on data collection, and lays out an outreach plan. Staff said they would prepare the draft for a second-step report.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to direct staff to draft a resolution extending SB 54-style protections citywide, prohibit routine collection of immigration-status data and publish "know your rights" outreach: Mover: Mayor Nikki Perez; Second: Council Member Chris Rosati; Vote: Perez: yes; Rosati: yes; Mullins: yes; Anthony: yes; Vice Mayor Takahashi: yes; Outcome: approved (5-0).

Ending: Councilmembers said the next item is for staff to return with a draft resolution that the full council can edit and adopt. Staff also agreed to prepare public-facing materials explaining what the policy would and would not do, so residents understand that local policy cannot stop federal enforcement but can clarify how city resources will, and will not, be used.