Public speakers press Bakersfield council to pursue Truth Act forum and sanctuary-policy referral

Dozens of residents and advocates urged the Bakersfield City Council on July 15 to act after reports of recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in the region.

Manuel Ramirez, a lifelong resident, told the council that recent ICE raids had terrified local families and asked the council to place an ordinance declaring Bakersfield a sanctuary city on a future agenda and to organize a Truth Act forum so residents can see past and future interactions between the city and ICE. “I fear…if my grandfather was alive today he would have a target on his back,” Ramirez said.

Lindsay Parker, a parent and resident, told the council that over 84,000 immigrants live in Bakersfield and urged a simple city resolution that would stop use of city resources for federal immigration enforcement and create ICE‑free zones on city property. “This is your moment,” Parker said, asking the council to add the resolution to the next agenda.

Vice Mayor responded to the public comments by calling for urgency and empathy, saying the city must examine ways to protect residents while acknowledging limits imposed by state and federal law. The vice mayor proposed organizing a Truth Act forum to bring community members together and to clarify what coordination, if any, the city has had with federal authorities.

Council Member Gonzales asked that a sanctuary‑policy resolution be drafted for the laws & legislation committee so the council can consider language and implications. Council Member Komen objected to having staff draft an ordinance without broader council discussion, arguing that drafting an ordinance preempts a fuller committee review. The city attorney explained that an objection to a referral requires the matter to come back to council for a vote and clarified the procedural options: the city attorney can draft policy language to return to the council, or the matter can be routed through committee without a staff‑drafted ordinance immediately presented.

Council members signaled they want to move thoughtfully: several said they support a Truth Act forum and a resolution that sends a clear message to the community, but warned that a resolution alone could create a false sense of security because federal enforcement can occur even in jurisdictions that call themselves sanctuary cities. Council members discussed holding a special Laws & Legislation committee meeting within 3–4 weeks to advance the policy work and asked staff to provide options for committee consideration.

The council did not adopt a sanctuary ordinance at the July 15 meeting; instead, members agreed to proceed with a Truth Act forum via the city attorney’s office and to consider the sanctuary resolution through committee procedures so the council can debate language, scope, and legal limits before any formal action.

Next steps: the city attorney will organize the Truth Act forum/process described by the vice mayor, and the sanctuary resolution proposal will be tracked through the laws & legislation committee for further consideration and eventual council action.