Baldwin Park reaffirms compliance with SB 54, council endorses outreach with schools

The Baldwin Park City Council unanimously adopted a resolution reaffirming the city’s commitment to comply with SB 54, the California Values Act, and to safeguard the privacy and civil rights of residents, particularly those with unsettled immigration status.

City staff summarized the law’s key limits on local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement: local agencies may not use local resources to assist federal immigration enforcement; they must not inquire into immigration status during interactions; they cannot detain people on immigration hold requests except in narrowly defined circumstances; and they cannot disclose non-public personal information such as home or work addresses except where the information is publicly available.

City Attorney Norma told the council SB 54 had been challenged in court but was, as of the meeting, being enforced and incorporated into local policy. Enrique (staff) said the resolution updates the city’s prior 2017 action to align city procedures with the state statute.

Dr. Angela Salazar, assistant superintendent for student achievement at Baldwin Park Unified School District, told the council the district had been working with the city since November to address community concerns and to reinforce protections, and she described the district’s obligations under FERPA that limit release of student information.

Council members discussed holding “know your rights” workshops and coordinating with legal-service groups to reassure residents about college aid and other federal forms. Mayor Avila and others asked staff to coordinate outreach with the school district and local community organizations. The motion to adopt the resolution passed on a 5-0 roll call.