Sacramento committee forwards ordinance to bar immigration enforcement on city property to full council

The Sacramento Law & Legislation Committee voted unanimously Tuesday to forward a council resolution directing the city manager to develop a citywide policy prohibiting the use of city facilities and property for immigration-enforcement activities.

The action came after more than a dozen public commenters urged the committee to move faster and to add binding safeguards — including a data-sanctuary policy, explicit prohibitions on Police Department participation in joint task forces with federal immigration authorities, clear signage, reporting requirements and civil penalties for violations.

"Immediate action from the city is needed to protect the constitutional rights of the people who live and work here," said Rhonda Rios Kravitz of the Sacramento Immigration Coalition, who testified in support of the proposal and asked the council to require the city to post clear signage, keep records of incidents, and direct employees to report attempted uses of city property for immigration enforcement. Jim Gonzales, chair of the Latino Economic Council, told the committee Sacramento must "control where the city controls its own property" so it "doesn't become staging areas for ICE."

Several speakers sought broader measures than the resolution as written. Moiz of the Asian American Liberation Network said community engagement has been extensive — he cited the Jan. 27 council meeting and hundreds of submitted e-comments — and alleged that the Sacramento Police Department earlier shared license-plate reader data with out-of-state agencies until June 2024. "We are demanding that you stop harming us," another speaker said, accusing the police department of aligning with federal enforcement while harm continues.

Council members acknowledged the urgency and the range of questions raised during testimony. Chair Maple said the committee heard a "sense of urgency" and requested staff provide additional information to the full council about mask-rule court decisions, how the city’s participation in the joint terrorism task force interacts with data sharing, and the status of policing and protest responses at the John Moss Building. "I'd love that information to come to the full council," Chair Maple said.

Council member Dickinson moved to send the resolution to the full council; Chair Maple seconded. The committee approved the referral by voice vote with no opposition. Members noted the authors requested the policy be developed with urgency and that the proposal included a 30-day target for staff to begin work.

The item will next appear on the full Sacramento City Council agenda, where members said they expect to receive additional information on legal constraints, data-sharing practices and proposed enforcement mechanisms. The special meeting adjourned at 11:04 a.m.

Votes at a glance: The committee recorded a unanimous voice vote to forward the resolution to the full council. No individual named roll-call votes were recorded in the committee transcript.