San Francisco supervisors amend UN Convention on the Rights of the Child resolution, send it back to committee for public notice

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on March 3 voted to amend a resolution endorsing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and then referred the item back to committee for further public comment.

The board adopted an amendment, 9-2, adding a "whereas" and a resolved clause stating that city policy should ensure every incarcerated youth has the right to full due process under the law before any city employee initiates communication with federal immigration officials. The amendment was moved by Supervisor Avalos and seconded by Supervisor Marr, and passed on roll call.

The amendment adds language responding to a recent city policy that automatically referred undocumented youth charged with felonies to immigration authorities before adjudication. Supervisor Avalos said the amendment was intended to align the city's internal practice with Article 40 of the U.N. convention by affirming the presumption of innocence and due process rights for minors. Several supervisors, including Supervisor Campos, praised the amendment as a step toward reconciling the city's stated support for the convention with local practice.

After the roll call on the amendment, city attorneys advised the board that the revised resolve clause was substantially different from the version published in the file and that Brown Act noticing and additional public comment would be required. Following that legal advice, the board voted without objection to refer the amended resolution back to committee so the language can be publicly noticed and considered at a later hearing.

The original resolution, introduced by Supervisor Alioto Pier and supported by the San Francisco Youth Commission, expresses the board's support for the U.N. convention; the United States has signed but not ratified the treaty. The board took no final vote on adoption at the March 3 meeting; the item will return to committee for further public process and possible revision.

The referral means the city will solicit additional public input on the specific language that would commit city policy employees not to notify federal immigration officials about alleged youth offenders before adjudication, and it pauses final adoption pending that process.