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Board unanimously declares San Francisco united against discriminatory immigration restrictions
Summary
The board passed an urgent resolution condemning federal restrictions that target immigrants on the basis of religion or national origin and urging support for immigrant legal defense and related protections; supervisors said the city would seek legal remedies and coordinate local protections.
San Francisco — The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously adopted an urgent resolution declaring the City and County of San Francisco united against discriminatory immigration and refugee policies based on religion and national origin.
The measure — introduced as an imperative item after the board heard extensive public and council-level reaction to federal executive actions — calls on city agencies to coordinate legal and social services for immigrants and refugees and urges private foundations to support local legal defense programs. Supervisors said the resolution was both a political statement and a call to operationalize the city’s sanctuary policies.
Why it matters: In the wake of federal executive orders restricting travel from some majority-Muslim countries and other immigration enforcement actions, San Francisco officials said they would protect City resources and residents and that the city’s legal team would challenge federal actions perceived as unlawful. Supervisor Hillary Ronan and others noted that City Attorney Dennis Herrera had filed suit that day against the federal order.
Supervisors described immediate priorities: funding and scale-up of immigrant legal defense, ensuring confidentiality of city records, and protecting access to public services. Several supervisors said they would pursue supplemental appropriations to support legal services and asked the mayor’s office and budget analysts to present plans for funding and program development. Supervisor Jane Kim and others pledged to work with immigrant-rights organizations and legal aid groups.
The board’s resolution also expresses support for the California Values Act (SB 54), a state bill that would limit state and local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, and asks the Legislature to advance the bill. Supervisor Ronan said the bill had just passed a Senate public safety committee and was headed to appropriations.
The resolution was adopted unanimously after supervisors agreed the item met the urgent-filing standard. Supervisors said they will continue to monitor litigation and provide updates on local actions to protect immigrant communities.
Key quote
"Hate is un-American and antithetical to our beliefs," Supervisor Safaie said when introducing the imperative resolution.
Ending note
Supervisors asked the mayor’s office, City Attorney and relevant departments to provide timely reports on funding needs for immigrant legal defense, confidentiality protections, and other local measures.
