Berkeley strengthens sanctuary city policy despite Trump administration threats

"After it was called out by the Trump administration as a sanctuary city for immigrants, Berkeley has opted to strengthen its stance by adding requirements for staff to document and disclose any contact made with federal agents. Under a unanimously approved ordinance, staff will now be required to report any request for assistance of information from or to federal agents to the City Council and that information will be publicly shared during the next available council meeting."

"The police department will also be required to include all reported incidents in their annual report. The ordinance clarifies that staff is not permitted to cooperate with federal agents regardless of whether requests are being made on city property or other public places like schools, places of worship or hospitals. "This ordinance is a reflection of Berkeley's values and it codifies the protections we have honored and followed by resolutions for decades," Mayor Adena Ishii said Tuesday."

"Berkeley has had some form of a sanctuary city resolution on the books since 1971, making the city one of the first in the nation to adopt such a policy. Councilmembers have reaffirmed the spirit of that resolution multiple times. The ordinance adopted Tuesday will supersede previous sanctuary city resolutions if approved on second reading during a future council meeting."

Berkeley enacted an ordinance requiring city staff to document and report any requests for assistance or information from federal agents to the City Council, with those reports publicly shared at the next council meeting. The police department must include all such incidents in its annual report. The ordinance bars staff from cooperating with federal agents on city property and other public places including schools, places of worship and hospitals. The ordinance formalizes sanctuary protections dating to 1971 and could supersede prior resolutions. The measure follows federal scrutiny under the Trump administration and a Supreme Court ruling affecting immigration enforcement.

Read at The Mercury News