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San Diego City Council unanimously adopts resolution backing Somali residents, directs work with childcare providers
Summary
After more than 50 public speakers, the council unanimously approved a resolution condemning racist rhetoric and harassment directed at Somali residents and childcare providers and directed city staff to work with providers to strengthen security measures.
Council members on Monday unanimously adopted a resolution expressing solidarity with San Diego’s Somali community and condemning racist rhetoric, harassment and intimidation directed at Somali residents and family childcare providers.
Proponents said the resolution was prompted by a broader national backdrop of anti‑Somali statements and by local incidents, including a May 18 attack at a San Diego Islamic center and repeated harassment targeting home‑based childcare operators. Anissa Mohammed, a community representative in District 9, told the council that Somali childcare providers have received dozens of harassing calls and in some cases have been filmed or followed at their homes. “Not in San Diego. Not in California. Not in our name,” Mohammed said as she urged passage.
The nut of the resolution, moved by Council Member Ilo (Sean) Elo Rivera and seconded by Council President Pro Tem Lee, reaffirms the city’s commitment to inclusion, rejects hateful rhetoric and asks the city to work with childcare providers to strengthen security measures. Supporters on behalf of unions, immigrant advocacy groups and faith organizations told the council that the measure is more than symbolic; they urged follow‑up actions, including collaboration with police and outreach to technology platforms whose influencers have visited the city to film and amplify allegations.
During more than two hours of public comment, speakers described a pattern of targeted harassment: voicemail messages that called providers “criminals,” persistent calls and recordings outside homes, and online campaigns that community leaders said have frightened families and undermined providers’ livelihoods. Several organizations—including the ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties and the Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans (PANA)—urged the council to pair the resolution with concrete protections. Samantha Itazawa of the ACLU said supporting the resolution would reaffirm the city’s commitment to safety and inclusion for immigrant neighbors.
Council discussion emphasized both the moral and practical dimensions of the issue. Council Member Elo Rivera framed the resolution as “a first step” and stressed the Somali community’s contributions to the city, while others pushed for operational follow‑through: stronger security for childcare providers, coordination with the police department, and outreach to state and federal partners to seek funding and protective measures.
The clerk recorded the vote as 8–0 in favor with Council Member Foster absent. The resolution directs staff to work with childcare providers on security measures and reaffirms the council’s public condemnation of racist and Islamophobic harassment. Council members and presenters said they expect additional follow‑up work with city departments and partner organizations to convert the resolution’s commitments into concrete supports and protections for affected families and providers.
The council’s action came after the body recessed into closed session earlier in the day and later reported out a separate closed‑session settlement; no implementation timeline for the resolution’s security work was specified in the meeting record.
