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Astoria council to release statement supporting Latinx residents after nearby ICE actions
Summary
At a Nov. 24 work session, the Astoria City Council reviewed and agreed to use a drafted public statement supporting Latinx residents after recent immigration enforcement in nearby Clasip County; councilors also discussed whether to pursue parallel resolutions or code changes and asked staff to include model language in the Dec. 1 packet.
Astoria City Council members on Nov. 24 reviewed a drafted public statement expressing the council’s support for Latinx residents following recent immigration and customs enforcement actions in Clasip County and agreed to use that wording at their next regular meeting.
The draft, presented by Director Dart McLean as an item for council review, was described as a values statement that can be released on the council’s behalf without a separate, formal vote. Councilors asked whether the item would function as a simple statement or if it should be followed by formal resolutions or code amendments; staff and the city attorney said the statement itself need not return for a subsequent vote, while related resolutions or legal changes could be developed and presented at a later meeting.
Councilors raised two tracks: adopt and release the statement quickly as an expression of the city’s values, and separately develop more formal actions—resolutions or code amendments—if they decide to codify protections or enforcement clarifications. One councilor emphasized that language in the draft’s "whereas" clauses referencing protected categories might be more appropriately codified through a resolution or an amendment to the municipal code rather than left only in a nonbinding statement.
Members also said they would look to neighboring cities for model language. A councilor reported encouragement from Congresswoman Bonamici’s office and noted that nearby Cannon Beach has adopted a related resolution; several councilors suggested harmonizing language across jurisdictions where appropriate.
Staff committed to placing several model statements and sample resolutions in the packet for the upcoming Dec. 1 council meeting so councilors could compare alternatives and finalize wording. The council’s decision at the Dec. 1 meeting will determine whether the statement is released alone or accompanied by additional formal actions.
The city did not take a formal vote on code changes during the work session; staff will return with model language and a schedule for consideration.
