Last week, the City of Tucson joined a number of other concerned cities across the nation by adopting a resolution supporting immigrant immigrant rights and condemning the kind of mass deportation policies Trump promised during the campaign. It passed unanimously.

Resolution #22699 is long and detailed. It refers back to a resolution adopted in April, 2012, which was “a declaration of five principles to guide Arizona’s immigration discussion,” as well as other resolutions and memorials adopted since then. The current resolution states:

The Mayor and Council condemn any threat, by any elected official, of mass deportations, and publicly proclaim through this Resolution that the City shall not participate in any such actions.

The Mayor and Council further publicly proclaim through this Resolution the commitment to protect all members of our community so they can live their lives free of fear and can feel safe in our city.

The mission and policies of the Tucson Police Department in regards to human rights and immigration are specified in 12 points, including: prohibiting racial profiling; recognizing that “unauthorized presence in the United States is not a criminal offense”; affirming it “will not make immigration status inquiries during consensual contacts with members of the public and will not make such inquiries of victims and witnesses of crime”; and affirming that “School Resource Officers, when interacting with minors, shall refrain from asking about immigration status.”

The City also published a valuable Resource Guide for Immigrant Families, which begins,

Following the harsh language and statements regarding immigration in the 2016 presidential campaign, we understand that many immigrant families are currently experiencing high levels of anxiety and fear. We know these can be difficult times, but Tucson is committed to doing everything we can do to ensure that as residents of our city, you feel safe and valued. As an Immigrant Welcoming City, we will stand united and protect one another.

The guide explains immigrants’ rights and legal options and provides a list of organizations providing legal help and support.

Other local governmental and educational organizations should follow suit. They now have two excellent templates to guide them: the resolution and resource guide provided by the City of Tucson and a resolution passed by TUSD a week earlier.

This article appears in Dec 22-28, 2016.

35 replies on “The City Of Tucson Makes a Statement”

  1. California has moved forward on their attempt to create a sanctuary state and have said they are not worried about losing federal funds. Do they really think that tax payers are going to fund the welfare recipients in their state?

    We will need an additional wall to keep them out of here. I haven’t decided which laws I will ignore for the coming year. But take a good look at our “so called” local leaders.

  3. As long as everything and everyone is LEGAL, i have no problem with this. My father-in-law came here from Sonora LEGALLY and became a U.S. Citizen. I also have no problem with “mass deportation” of CRIMINALS. If local law enforcement gets in the way of or impedes bonifide Federal criminal investigation and enforcement…THAT I have a problem with.

  4. I support “dreamers”. These people were brought here through no fault of there own.
    I do have a problem however with tax money going to support people who are here illegally. There are millions of US Citizens who need assistance or improved health care take care of them first.

  6. “Unauthorized presence in the United States….” IS a criminal offense and by not obeying the law, the City Council is therefore not “protecting all members of our community.”

  7. “Make Tucson Mexico Again!”

    You are such a class act Wrong, Again.

    What makes you want to be so bitter? I guess you weren’t hugged enough when you were a child.

  8. You claim to be a city that follows the laws,but only the laws that suit you. I hope these sanctary cities loose there federal funds including this city. I am tired of people in power telling us what we should be doing. If you like what California is doing move there.

  9. It’s shameful that the police and ME A advocates are using an immagration protection excuse to shield the fact that the “destroyed” weapons (almost 5,000) are actially veing gicen to criminals, including a Scottsdale man recently highlighted in our news as being wanted by the CIA for international arms deals with Libya. Despite reports to police and others that he’s residing on our East side, in a safe haven “sanctuary” community, the select County officials responsible for misleading our citizens and commiting this, choose to act as though they care about public saftey enraging our community about loss of funding their oppositional behavior has caused by refusing to cooperate with HIGHER federal agents. They are too concerned about culpability. So when you hear about the money being with held…thank the corrupt cops because it’s a State liability BOND for international crimes outside of this Country. Thank you TUSD for loving our kids. Let’s pray for the truth to be told so our enslaved community can be set free and safe. I refuse to allow the to define me and my Town and fall back on my own integrity insisting we all refuse to allow trusted public servants ruin our town. I want to thank the change agents and fabulous law enforcement officers who don’t engage in this. We love you.

  10. Leadership is defined by not just what you say and do, it’s also the complete absense of what leaders should be doing! So when someone elected chooses to use a position of “immagration protection” and nothing else to sbow for that outsideca gun ordinance, we, as a community should insure that their comments bear fruit and that’s measured by the increased quality of life for immagrants, children and families. I stand United with love and humility, I, as a public servant, feel the duty to protect, to be caring and concerned for everyone’s kid, not just my own. My child whose visually impaired, speech delayed and innocent. My daughter has been victimized by ill intended professionals and it was a sad day when I was victimized by our police dept trying to protect her, targeting her rare disease from being exploited. As I would for all our kids let’s make sure we keep it straight and true to our fundamental foubdations, each other.

  11. It would be great to have someone with some balls take office in Tucson. We need a change, and inviting more illegal immigrants into Arizona isn’t the answer.

    I’ve paid taxes in this state for over 25 years, and am a fourth-generation Arizona native. My family has personally suffered more times that I can count on two hands as a direct result of illegal immigrants and their actions.

    I can’t even hike in the Chiracahua, Huachuca, or Santa Rita mountains any more without being well armed. I’ve personally held illegals at gunpoint while waiting for LEOs in more than one situation while out hunting, hiking, or camping. When I tell my co-workers across the country about our brown and white “Use caution, you may encounter smuggling or illegal activity…” signs, they are shocked and speechless, as am I.

    There’s a legal way for entry, and that should be the only way that they can come in. I’ve been to the Cochise County courthouse in the past, and have watched the naturalization process first-hand. Those people are proud, and become valuable and welcomed Americans. That’s how it should be. Period.

    I’m tired of beading more than my share because somebody else wants to cheat the system. Step up, have some pride, and do it the right way. I’m happy to help out, and we donate a lot of our income every year to groups like Sunshine Kids. That’s where my extra money should go – to people that really do deserve it.

  12. Publicity stunt only, means nothing. They cant enforce federals laws anyway, no change there. Alot of political rehtoric by a bunch of leftists that wouldn’t live in the same city limit in which they work and are methodically destroying with unbridaled socialism.

  13. I always get sort of a chuckle out of the haters in this town…..where so very many people run red lights, don’t walk in crosswalks, and probably fudge on their taxes. What I’m getting at is that in normal life, it seems to me, rules and laws are followed selectively all the time. But oooooh, if you’re looking to improve your life by coming here and getting a job at absolutely sub-human wages how DARE you? DON”T YOU KNOW WE ARE A COUNTRY OF LAWS???? Sorry, folks, I don’t buy it. Every company, every restaurant, every business that has a back room full of poorly paid immigrants is breaking the law through their hiring and pay practices. How many of the haters focus their hate on THOSE law breaking red blooded Americans? Or do you just look the other way because this glorified form of slavery keeps your prices low?

  14. …and taxes high? Take off your rose colored glasses Betts. We are notvthe enemy.No wonder Hillary lost with thinking like that.

  15. There goes our brave city council, tilting at windmills and wasting our time and money. I guess it’s time for this voting citizen to drive to work, on roads that are more crack than asphalt, to earn the money to pay the taxes they will waste.

  16. “40-year-old Humberto Rocha-Ortiz attacked two TFD personnel with a knife while they tried to issue medical treatment to him at a home in the 300 block of E. Roger Road, said Sgt. Kimberly Bay, of the Tucson Police Department. He also bit one of the responders, Bay said.”

    Welcome to Tucson! Would you like to date any of our daughters?

  18. I understand that our Southern neighbors need the addresses and directions to our Mayor and City Councils houses? In Spanish please?
    I heard that they are handing out Free Food, Clothing, Blankets and $$$Cash$$$.
    If it gets too cold out maybe they will let you in to their homes. No Documents Needed!!!
    Oh!!! Almost forgot – Free Education for the Kids!

  19. Wow Wrong, Again…you really should have got those hugs.

    You are a maladjusted, uneducated, staunch conservative know-nothing who possibly could have benefited from a little bit more love as a child. Alas, it’s far too late now. Please just go away. You add nothing but negativity to this site, not to mention all the other sites which you frequent. Stop already, because trolling will add nothing to your tarnished legacy.

  20. Re: Arthur who posted – “I hope these sanctary cities loose there federal funds including this city.”

    A comment that gets my award for the most spelling errors. I count three.

    Especially astonishing is that Arthur misspelled “lose” as “loose.” (Not to forget his misspelling of “their,” which he wrote as “there.”)

    Arthur should have had Inez Matthews, my 4th grade teacher, who, when I wrote “loose” when I should have written “lose” shrieked at me: “loose rhymes with goose!”

    “Lose”means that you just lost a nearly perfect grade on an otherwise fine piece of writing.”

    As did poor Arthur.

  21. As for “What, Again?”

    Well, he’s just in an especially bad mood today, because he just learned that his Social Security check is only going up .03%.

    Amazing isn’t it, how this little fellow, who’s entirely dependent on government welfare keeps attacking the hand that feeds him.

  22. Thanks, Truth seeker–thats sort of what I was trying to get at on my post. Its not really about what people are claiming–we live in a very untaxed state and a very untaxed town comparatively speaking, and all of these folks are so worried about taking care of others that they just keep looking to go even further into that race to the bottom…..when in reality, they are probably being taken care of by others as well.

  24. It would be very interesting to see each blog and comment augmented by the following %:

    % of your lifestyle during your working years (for most Americans, that would be 18-22 to 65 or older) that is supported by what you yourself have earned in salary or wages in the marketplace.

    In my experience — which I grant may be limited and not representative of the full spectrum of correlations between wealth and political opinions — the more liberal views tend to come from people whose lifestyles have been augmented by family wealth they did not earn or by income from investments that comes to them automatically.

    Not saying that either perspective is right or wrong, just that from what I’ve observed, there is a correlation. And I sometimes wish when reading post-11/8/2016 comment streams here and elsewhere that the liberals / progressives (of which I am one) could temper their tendency towards self-righteousness when addressing others, many of whose own experiences may have been of a country that granted them NOTHING they did not earn. (And I would point out, too, that those who have worked for decades and are then living on a fixed income know that the amount of your social security benefit is based on the amount of wages you earned during the decades in which you worked for a living and the amount of taxes you payed into the system.)

  25. Our city council is full of lawlessness. Ask them where all the money is, they run and hide. How about the 5 million they stole to build a fake pet shelter. Of course they spew ignorance about making Tucson a sanctuary city. I hope our city council loses Thier citizenship as well and get deported.

  26. Great post “Try to understand.”

    Let me start. I am over 60 (still working) and have been self employed my whole life. No benefits, no pension, no health insurance, no paid vacations. I work 50-60 hours per week. Never applied for welfare, food stamps , unemployment or disability. Very blessed, lucky, and conservative. I have to be.Taxes and fees are still taking half my income.

    They raised SS age on us in the 80s because they stole from the fund, and now my health insurance has been totally destroyed because I am to subsidize others on the Affordable Care Act.

    I believe you can understand why I want nothing from this government, but to be left alone. I have witnessed all the failures and financed them all.

  28. Ah, democracy. The conditions (low wages, negligible entitlements, non-existent job secirity) which you allow your fellow citizens to experience will occasionally come back to bite you in the ass.

  30. Nope, I never slept through a single “English class,” neither at the undergraduate nor at the graduate level.

    I do sometimes hit the wrong letter accidentally when thumb typing comments on my cell phone, though. The U key is next to the I key — hence the error in the way the word “security” was typed in the above post.

    In general, in these comment streams, I think you’ll find that it’s better to address the ideas and give fellow commenters the benefit of the doubt on the occasional error, rather than taking cheap shots at them.

    When it comes to the idea that allowing large portions of the electorate to have insufficient security and entitlements put America in a situation where a “tough love,” protectionist, anti-immigrant candidate could be elected, not many who’ve looked at the exit polling data are disputing that these days.

  32. Yep, that response is entirely in character. You could have been commenting in these streams for 60 years, CW13, and based on the content (not the longevity) of your commentary, I still would not agree with you on that point.

    Incivility, insults and unthinking reaction from both sides of the political fence — something we’ve seen far too much of since 11/8/2016 — don’t add anything of value and don’t give much hope for a democracy where those in control of both the R and D operations can’t seem to engage the electorate in anything of a higher order than relentless mutual disparagement and mudslinging.

  34. Just looking at these comments evolving through the years (and I admit to occasionally ripping right in there) is indicative of the country and maybe the globe getting knee-jerked around. With the new president’s mentality, we all need to get ready for vindictive pronouncements, lower ethical behavior, secret back room deals and impulsive, repulsive reactions. Agree with the City’s pronouncement or not, they are taking a stand based on morality and decency as they see it.

  35. Those clowns wouldn’t know decency and morality if it jumped up and bit them in the ass. (Head?) As far as Trump goes I suggest you build a bridge and get over it.

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