Rules Committee recommends four appointments to Immigrant Rights Commission

The Rules Committee on Oct. 21 considered four vacancies on the Immigrant Rights Commission and recommended four appointments based on applicant presentations and public testimony.

Chair Campos said four seats were open with eight applicants; several candidates presented brief statements and answered supervisor questions about attendance and community work. Vera Hale described decades of work with immigrant seniors and language‑access advocacy; Sameer Danfora (represented at the hearing by Adrienne Pong due to a court conflict) was recommended by staff for his legal expertise in comprehensive immigration reform; Teresa (Teresa) Chi emphasized her nursing and language‑access experience and fluency in multiple Chinese dialects; Elahi Insani (also spelled Elahi Ansani in remarks) presented examples of immigrant assistance, including successful family reunifications and eviction interventions.

Staff recommended reappointing Vera Hale (Seat 1), appointing Sameer Danfora (Seat 3), appointing Teresa Chi (Seat 5) and reappointing Elahi Ansani (Seat 9). Public commenters, community groups and commission leadership voiced support for these selections. Chair Campos moved to recommend the slate and the motion was taken without objection.

Supervisors praised the applicants’ community service and emphasized the coming year’s challenges, including federal immigration enforcement and language‑access needs. The committee encouraged applicants not selected to remain engaged as vacancies occur in the continuing appointment process.