Supervisors Hear Hours of Testimony on Juvenile Probation's Handling of Immigrant Youth; Hearing Continued

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors Rules Committee spent the bulk of its March 4 meeting on Item 5, a hearing on the Juvenile Probation Department's compliance with Ordinance No. 228-09, the Board's amendment to the city's sanctuary policy that restricts inquiries into juveniles' immigration status.

Chair David Campos opened the hearing by saying the purpose was to review compliance, not to launch a partisan attack, and asked the department for details on its current practice and any legal obstacles to implementing the ordinance. Chief Sifferman told the committee the department had reviewed the ordinance with the city attorney and outside counsel and concluded it could not modify its policies "until these issues of federal, civil, and criminal law are resolved, are resolved by the courts" and while a federal grand jury investigation was underway. He said federal authorities had referred the department to Title 8, section 1373 of the U.S. Code and had asserted that employees could be exposed to criminal liability for harboring or transporting undocumented juveniles.

Why the hearing mattered: supporters of the ordinance, including immigration attorneys,…