New Business - Committee on Public Safety
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Throughout the history of the United States, states and local jurisdictions have protected their residents regardless of their legal status under federal law. For example, during the time of legalized slavery, some northern states passed a range of "sanctuary" laws that protected runaway slaves within their boundaries, including giving them a range of due process rights, access to employment and education, and protection from capture; and
WHEREAS, In keeping with this proud tradition of protecting their most vulnerable citizens, many major jurisdictions across the nation have enacted sanctuary ordinances that prohibit the use of municipal funds and resources to enforce federal immigration laws that would tear innocent families apart; and
WHEREAS, The City of Chicago (the "City"), one of the most ethnically, racially and religiously diverse cities in the world, where one-out-of-five of the City's residents is an immigrant, was built on the strength of its immigrant communities; and
WHEREAS, In furtherance of its commitment to ensuring a better quality of life for all of its residents, in 2006, the City Council passed an ordinance that prohibited conditioning City benefits or services on a person's immigration status; and
WHEREAS, In 2012, in order to effectuate the City's goals of protecting life and property, preventing crime and resolving problems in the entire City by encouraging the cooperation of all persons, both documented citizens and those without documentation status, the City amended the Welcoming City ordinance to prohibit city officials and agencies from cooperating with federal detainer requests, except in certain exceptions, such as a person being a convicted felon; and
WHEREAS, Recent events have caused similar sanctuary ordinances to come under attack. The United States House of Representatives has gone as far as passing the "Enforce the Law for Sanctuary Cities Act" that would deny federal funding to cities that refuse to report detained immigrants; and
WHEREAS, In a recent joint statement, the U. S. Conference of Mayors and the National League of Cities stated that sanctuary polices strengthen police-community relations and build trust, thereby actually improving policing for all of its citizens; now, therefore;
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and Members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, assembled this fourteenth day of October, 2015, do hereby call upon the City Council Committee on Public Safety to hold a hearing on the City's Welcoming City Ordinance to determine whether any further action is necessary to promote the City's goal of protecting all of its residents, regardless of their immigration status; and
Roberto Maldonado Alderman, 26th Ward
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution is presented to the Chairman of the City Council Committee on Public Safety.
ARIEL E. REBOYRAS
Alderman, 30th Ward 3559 N. Milwaukee Ave Chicago, IL 60641. (773) 794-3095 (773) 794-8576 (Fax) Ward30@cityofchicago.org www. 3 0th wardch icago.com
COUNCIL CHAMBER
City Hall, Room 300 121 N. LaSalle Street Chicago, IL 60602 Telephone (312) 744-3304
PUBLIC SAFETY
Chairman
Aviation
Budget and Government Operations Rules and Ethics Finance
Health and Environmental Protection Housing and Real Estate Human Relations License and Consumer Protection
January 13, 2015
To the President and Members of the City Council:
Reporting for your Committee on Public Safety for which a meeting was held on January 12, 2016, having had under consideration two items.
Re-referral to the Committee on Human Relations, of a resolution introduced by Alderman Maldonado (26), calling for hearing(s) on "Welcoming City Ordinance" to determine if further actions are necessary to promote protection of all residents, regardless of immigration status.
The appointment of Sharon Fairley as Chief Administrator of the Independent Police Review. I beg leave to report and recommend that Your Honorable Body Pass the proposed appointment transmitted herewith.
These recommendations were concurred in by a voice vote of the members of this Committee.
Respectfully submitted,
Ariel E. Reboyras, Chairman Committee on Public Relations