Coachella votes to become an immigrant sanctuary
Move an attempt to prevent local police from arresting the undocumented
Michelle Yee, The Desert Sun
SANCTUARY Cities that declare themselves sanctuaries for undocumented immigrants vow not to uphold federal immigration laws that require undocumented immigrants to be deported.
OTHER CALIFORNIA SANCTUARIES: Los Angeles and San Francisco
HR 4377
The Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005 - or HR 4437 - authorizes and reimburses local law enforcement to enforce federal immigration law, proposes building a $2 million fence along the border and criminalizes those who help the undocumented.
Xochitl Peña The Desert Sun March 24, 2006
thedesertsun.com
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COACHELLA - Declaring its support for undocumented immigrants coming to this agricultural, Latino community, the Coachella City Council voted Wednesday to become a "sanctuary."
One of just a few California cities to declare themselves sanctuaries, Wednesday's 2-1 decision is an attempt to prevent local police in the 97 percent Latino city of 30,000 from becoming an extension of the border patrol, should Congress pass House Resolution 4437.
The Border Protection, Antiterrorism and Illegal Immigration Control Act, which is slated to go before the U.S. Senate next, authorizes local authorities to enforce federal immigration law, proposes building a $2 million fence along the border and criminalizes those who help the undocumented. It would also authorize police agencies to arrest undocumented immigrants.
The city has deep roots in agriculture; César Chávez once marched through the area to fight for farm laborers' rights. Today, the date, vegetable and table grape operations still rely on immigrant workers from Mexico and their descendents to harvest crops.
Riverside County Sheriff Bob Doyle has said if the congressional bill passes, his deputies, who are responsible for policing Coachella, will enforce the law, even if it's unpopular.
Doyle could not be immediately reached for comment Thursday night.
Riverside County is home to about 233,000 undocumented immigrants. It is unclear how many live in the Coachella Valley.
Community voices
Joe Mota, the regional director for the Southern California United Farm Workers of America, was one of hundreds of east valley residents who attended the standing room-only meeting Wednesday to urge the City Council to declare the city a "sanctuary."
Hand-in-hand with that, the City Council also approved 2-1 a resolution to oppose the congressional bill.
Opponents of the bill say it makes criminals of those who help illegal immigrants, even inadvertently.
"If anyone helps an illegal immigrant they can go to jail," said Esperanza Gonzalez, 29, a lifelong Coachella resident.
She attended the Wednesday City Council meeting to support opposition of the bill and also was at a protest march on Sunday that drew about 800 residents.
"I am Hispanic and I love helping out my community," she said of why she opposes the bill.
The resolution that declares Coachella a "sanctuary" doesn't preclude the sheriff's deputies from enforcing federal law that could contradict though, Mota said.
"If (HR 4437) passes, what's going to have to happen is we're going to have to pressure the city to create its own city police. It's time that the city has its own police," Mota said.
The city is making a concerted effort to provide a safe and healthy haven for its residents regardless of immigration status, he added.
Supporters of the bill say undocumented immigrants overwhelm schools, sap health-care resources and cause problems for law enforcement. The bill would authorize local authorities to enforce federal immigration laws.
Robert Kahmann, a Cathedral City resident, thinks Coachella opposing the bill is essentially deciding to ignore federal law.
He's also concerned that the decision to become a "sanctuary" for undocumented immigrants could also become a haven for criminals.
"The criminals know that if they go to place that's a safe haven the police cannot ask for their identity and status. If you were a criminal, where would you go?" he said.
Mayor Jesse Villarreal said the resolution does not mean criminals will be protected in the city. Rather, it means the city is working to protect immigrants' rights.
Joining the chorus
Other cities across California - including Los Angeles, Pomona and Maywood - passed resolutions earlier this year opposing the bill.
The resolution the Coachella City Council approved Wednesday opposing the bill was fashioned after the resolution passed in Maywood, a majority Latino community outside Los Angeles.
"It sends a firm statement that this is inhumane. It goes against every American belief we could possibly have. It's hard to fathom that this is the best our government can come up with to deal with illegal immigration," said Councilman Gilbert Ramirez of why he approved the Wednesday resolution.
It was Ramirez and Eduardo Garcia who voted in favor of the resolutions. Mayor Villarreal abstained because he was unclear on what the resolutions meant while Councilman Richard Macknicki cast the dissenting vote. Mayor Pro Tem Juan De Lara was absent.
Villarreal said he was able to receive clarification Thursday afternoon on exactly what the resolutions mean.
"All they are asking is to not let the local police become an extension of the border patrol," said Villarreal. |
