Title
An Update to the City of Sacramento’s Legislative and Programmatic Support for Immigrants and Refugees (Immigration Platform)
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FileID
File ID: 2025-02007
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Location
Location: Citywide
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Recommendation
Recommendation: Adopt a Resolution approving an Immigration Platform that establishes the policy and legislative agenda for the City on immigration matters.
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Contact
Contact: Philip Norton, Chief of Staff, (916) 808-7006, pnorton@cityofsacramento.org, Office of Mayor Pro Tem Eric Guerra; Monika Lee, Chief of Staff, (916) 808-7235, mqlee@cityofsacramento.org, Office of Vice Mayor Karina Talamantes; Susan Khang, Director of Policy and Constituent Affairs, (916) 808-7337, skhang@cityofsacramento.org, Office of Councilmember Mai Vang
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Presenter
Presenter: Vice Mayor Karina Talamantes, (916) 808-7003, ktalamantes@cityofsacramento.org, District 3; Mayor Pro Tem Eric Guerra, (916) 808-7006, eguerra@cityofsacramento.org, District 6; Councilmember Mai Vang, (916) 808-7008, mvang@cityofsacramento.org, District 8
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Attachments
Attachments:
1-Description/Analysis
2-Resolution
3-Exhibit A - Immigration Platform
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Description/Analysis
IssueDetail
Issue Detail: Considering the recent and anticipated expansion of federal immigration
enforcement activity during the administration, with this action updating its Immigration Platform, the City (1) reaffirms that the city of Sacramento is a city of refuge for immigrants of all nationalities and beliefs; and (2) adopts a citywide Immigration Platform and policy.
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PolicyConsiderations
Policy Considerations: The report provides the rationale for the updated Immigration Platform and, if adopted, constitutes legislative and programmatic direction for the City with regards to immigration-related issues that are in line with the California Values Act (SB 54).
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EconomicImpacts
Economic Impacts: Adoption of these policies will support immigrant families who reside in the City to remain in Sacramento. Immigrants play a vital role in construction and food economy and as such any loss or reduction in this vital workforce could harm several
industries.
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EnvironmentalConsiderations
Environmental Considerations: This report concerns administrative activities that do not constitute a “project” as defined by section 15378 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines and is otherwise exempt pursuant to sections 15061(b)(3); 15378(b)(2).
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Sustainability
Sustainability: Not applicable.
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Commission/Committee Action
Commission/Committee Action: Not applicable.
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RationaleforRecommendation
Rationale for Recommendation: Sacramento immigrants comprise a significant portion of our City’s residents. Our community has benefited from being one of the most integrated and diverse cities in the United States. Sacramento has a strong history of reaching out and welcoming people of diverse backgrounds and immigration status.
In 2017, the City established the Safe Haven Task Force to, among other issues, determine if the current legislative platform and/or policy objectives were consistent with the goals and principles long supported by the Council. The taskforce directed that an updated Citywide Platform be prepared for the Council to consider and discuss. Thereafter, the City Council adopted the “Legislative Platform and Programmatic Support for Immigrant and Refugees in the City of Sacramento.” This has been and remains the policy of the City with respect to all the residents of Sacramento. However, given the recent increase in immigration enforcement operations and questionable policies by the Trump administration, the City now seeks to update its Immigration Platform to, among other issues, continue using legislative and legal avenues to challenge and restrain enforcement actions that violate civil liberties.
Protecting due process and equal protection under the law is essential to preserving public trust and ensuring that all individuals, regardless of background or immigration status, are treated with fairness and dignity. Notable examples of such efforts are the legal decisions and ongoing litigation in Vasquez Perdomo v. Noem and United Farm Workers v. Noem, which collectively prohibit federal immigration agents from conducting warrantless stops, arrests, and sweeps that disproportionately target individuals based on race, ethnicity, language, or perceived immigration status, practices that undermine constitutional rights and fuel fear and mistrust in immigrant communities. Together, these decisions represent a vital defense of constitutional protections. They affirm the principle that immigration enforcement must be conducted with respect for the rule of law and human dignity not through racial or ethnic profiling, warrantless intrusions, or unjustified targeting.
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FinancialConsiderations
Financial Considerations: The potential impact of the adoption of these policies and programs is not yet quantified as it may affect federal resources available to the City.
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LocalBusinessEnterprise
Local Business Enterprise (LBE): Not applicable.
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