Sonoma County Board of Supervisors approves ordinance to safeguard civil rights of immigrants

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The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors today moved forward with an ordinance that prohibits County employees from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement operations, bans immigration authorities from using County property for enforcement actions, and affirms that the County does not collect or share immigration status unless required by law. The Board also approved $1.5 million to support immigrant community resource needs.

The ordinance, which does not apply to agencies under the authority of other elected officials, is the result of the work of the Supporting Immigrant Communities Ad Hoc Committee, led by Supervisor Rebecca Hermosillo and Supervisor Lynda Hopkins.

“With this ordinance, the Board is reaffirming our commitment to stand with Sonoma County’s immigrant communities, uphold their civil rights and dignity, and put meaningful safety nets in place to support them,” said Supervisor Hermosillo, Chair of the Board of Supervisors. “ICE raids are not welcome in Sonoma County.”

The $1.5 million the Board set aside for immigrant support will go towards several needs including legal support and removal defense, mental health support, coordination among service providers, distribution of information through trusted messengers, language access, law enforcement messaging coordination to address misinformation in the community, and post-detainment family supports. County staff will return to the Board with specific funding recommendations for use of the funds.

“We have spent the last year listening to immigrant communities, hearing their anxieties, their needs and their fears,” Supervisor Hopkins said. “By dedicating this funding stream, we can now say that we have a mechanism to start addressing these concerns.”

The Board voted unanimously to introduce the ordinance, and it will be adopted upon the second reading on April 28. Read the full ordinance here.

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Media Contact:
Matt Brown, Communications Specialist
publicaffairs@sonomacounty.gov
(707) 565-3040