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Add ICE and Shake: Sanctuary City Debat Judy Buchan Contributing Writer I t all started with ICE. Earlier this year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents came to Redwood City and detained a number of suspected undocumented immigrants. That action sparked community meetings, pleas to the City Council to condemn the ICE activity, questions about the Police Department’s policy toward undocumented immigrants and concerns that formal action to become a sanctuary city is in the works. A “sanctuary city” is one where police and other city employees are not permitted to ask about the immigration status of those within the city limits or to cooperate with federal immigration officials in most circumstances. Leaders of San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Jose, Boston and New York have designated their cities as sanctuary cities. The question now is whether the Redwood City Police Department’s policy means Redwood City is a sanctuary city. Adopted in 1995, the policy states: “The Redwood City Police Department will not stop, detain or arrest an individual solely on the suspicion that he or she is an undocumented immigrant.” “No, we are not a sanctuary city,” said Mayor Barbara Pierce, citing her extensive research of the current policy. “It is important to take this in the context of community safety,” Pierce said. “People must be able to communicate with the Police Department to report crime or as victims of crime without fear of questions about immigration status. We need to build trust. It’s a good policy and we need to stay with it,” she concluded. Council Member Ian Bain also agreed with the policy, noting that “it’s not our job to enforce federal laws; we enforce local laws.” When asked about formal legislation to make Redwood City a sanctuary city, Bain responded, “While I can’t speak for my colleagues, no one on the council has interest in doing that. I won’t vote for Council Members Rosanne Foust and Alicia Aguirre legislation that conflicts with federal law.” Does the policy indicate that Redwood City is a sanctuary city? “Not at all,” said Vice Mayor Rosanne Foust. “This is a very sensitive issue within our community.” Should the City Council enact a policy directing the Police Department to check immigration status? “No. We don’t set immigration policy; the federal government does. Other cities around the country have adopted restrictive ordinances regarding immigration, only to have them struck down by the courts,” she added. “I would not support any type of resolution making Redwood City a sanctuary city,” Foust said. “I was elected to uphold the United States Constitution, the constitution of the state of California, and all local laws.” Foust added, “You know, my family came from Czechoslovakia and Ireland. They came though Ellis Island, worked in Pennsylvania coal mines and became citizens. That’s the way you do it.” Erin Lucien and Art Bush of the Redwood City Coalition for Immigration Control take a different view. “Redwood City is a sanctuary city already,” Lucien said. “Our elected officials took an oath of office to enforce the laws; they can’t pick and choose which laws they will enforce.” Art Bush agrees. “Unofficially it is [a sanctuary city]. They have said they will not ask,” he said. Lucien and Bush have become active in the immigration debate, both taking part in recent demonstrations at the corner of Jefferson and El Camino. Lucien is a general contractor who feels the effects of illegal immigration are “pervasive — in professional life, finances and personal life.” He contends that, while he and Mayor Pierce are good friends, she may have a “political agenda” in the immigration debate. Lucien is concerned about the upcoming immigration forums sponsored by the League of Women Voters, particularly one agenda item that he said is to include community services available to undocumented workers. He also said that his wife is worried about retaliation in response to his activity. Bush has participated in demonstrations against illegal immigration and made contact with Minutemen groups in the East Bay. He chose not to formally join one group in Castro Valley, due to what he saw as “racist overtones” on the part of some members. Bush recalled being in a “peaceful” march in Fremont last July, only to be met by people he described as Hispanic gang members. After the physical confrontation, Bush said he needed $3,000 in dental work. Bush talked about Friendly Acres, his ethnically diverse neighborhood. Citing neighboring families of different racial backgrounds, he said quite simply, “My neighbors came here to be Americans, not to stay in the third world.” Both men noted a community meeting held at the Fair Oaks Community Center soon after the ICE immigration action. “There were very few Anglos there,” Bush said. “The meeting was all done in Spanish. They told people what their rights were and that they didn’t have to volunteer information,” he continued. He added that Chief of Police Louis Cobarruviaz told the audience that the Police Department would not “hassle” them for documentation but would look for documentation only if a crime had been committed. At one point, Bush and Lucien said, the chief asked the audience, “How many of you are from Mexico?” When people raised their hands, they continued, the chief pointed to the audience and said, “We told you not to tell.” Both men expressed frustration with that incident. Was the chief trying to “coach” the audience? “He was just restating the policy to the people,” said Council Member Alicia Aguirre. “We in Redwood City do care about safety,” she continued. “We want people to be comfortable communicating to the Police Department. If crime is not reported, that makes it more difficult to get help to the people.” Sanctuary city resolutions, Aguirre said, “are just pieces of paper that make people feel good. They don’t address the issue.” “We are trying to educate the community through activities such as the League of Women Voters forums,” she added. “When there’s a meeting like the one at Fair Oaks, then the Minutemen gather at Jefferson and El Camino. People on both sides are fearful.” www.TheSpectrumMagazine.net Mayor Barbara Pierce
te in the Mix Bikers, Skaters Work Out Park Problems Aguirre doesn’t believe that Redwood City should become a sanctuary city at this time. “I’m not saying that we won’t; I haven’t asked the rest of the council.” So what’s ahead in all this? “We are looking at things we can do that will … help our community to understand issues, such as the forums sponsored by the League of Women Voters, and we will urge our citizens to attend and communicate to federal legislators,” said Pierce. Bush and Lucien say they asked to speak at these forums, and their request was denied. “The federal government doesn’t want us to be in the midst of this,” Pierce added. “There is no need to try and set our own policy; the federal government should do it.” City Council challenger Joneen Nielsen sees the issue a bit differently. The Police Department’s policy is “better than most police departments. Some in Southern California are actually helping with ICE raids,” Nielsen said. “It sounds like they’re trying to play both sides; pulling people over [on a traffic stop] to look for some technicality, looking for some loophole. The options are there,” she added. “The real problem is the lack of cohesive federal immigration policy, which means communities have to cobble together policy on immigration,” she said. Nielsen would support a formal sanctuary city resolution, even at the risk of losing federal funding. “I don’t want us to be sticking out like a sore thumb,” she said. “I’m concerned that ICE will look to make examples of sanctuary cities. I don’t want the federal government coming in.” And the debate continues. With Congress now at a 25 percent national approval rating, the immigration cocktail will continue to be shaken and stirred until some sort of resolution comes to the surface — some day. T he Phil Shao Memorial Skate Park in Redwood City is drawing BMX bikers who are complaining about the $50 tickets they receive while skaters for whom the park was built complain that the bikers are creating a safety hazard. “The main problem is that the bikes are really dangerous,” said John Davidson, a local skateboarder. “Two boards colliding is one thing; it is just some body contact. A bike, on the other hand, is a lot of metal coming down on you. The park is made for skateboarding for a reason.” Skateboarders and bikers met to discuss the riding conditions at the Phil Shao Memorial Skate Park in Redwood City. Despite city code that prohibits bikers from using the skate park, bikers continue to ride. The meeting, held at the Veterans Memorial Senior Center, brought together nearly 50 skaters and bikers from 10 to 21 years of age. Councilwoman Alicia Aguirre, Redwood City police officers and members of the Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center were also present. With BMX growing as a sport, more bikers are using the 13,000-square-foot haven. When the park opened in 2003, there were only a couple of bikers using the park. Now there are up to 20 bikers trying to use the park at one time along with the skateboarders, said Chris Beth of the Redwood City Department of Parks and Recreation. The biggest problem, Beth said, is with beginning skaters not understanding the flow of the park. “Most times when there is a biker, they are with one of their buddies taking turns using the bowl. When there are problems with the bikes getting in the way, it is usually with beginning skaters not knowing when to go or dropping in the bowl without waiting until the biker is done,” said Beth. A majority of skateboarders don’t mind the bikers. Many of the riders are friends and use the park as a refuge to meet people that share the same interests. Sean Sieling, 17, of San Carlos is a regular. “It is the perfect place to go to stay out of trouble. I love the park and I love the people. Biking is like a way of life. The park gives me a chance to hang out with people that do the same thing as me,” said Sieling. Other bikers were concerned about the lack of community that comes with banning bikers from the park. “This is a community for riders. The law doesn’t allow bikes to be part of the community because it is illegal for us to be there. The city needs to legalize bikes or create another park that the biking community can use,” said Mikey Clark, a 16- year-old biker who uses the park almost every day. A common theme among the bikers and skaters was skate park etiquette. The riders noted experienced nonlocals unfamiliar with the park’s routine. There are certain spots along the bowls that are safe entry spots. Collisions happen when an experienced rider does a high-flying trick at the wrong place and time. The riders urged each other to be more aware of their surroundings and help riders who do not understand the park’s flow. Unsupervised children running around the park was another common concern. They use the bowls and ramps as slides and are in the way of the riders. Many riders suggested ways to improve the park outside of the biking/skating problem. Lights and a net that catches the balls from the neighboring softball field were desired commodities. Riders also wanted to reduce the amount of smoking, whether cigarettes or marijuana, that takes place within the park. The riders agreed that collisions are inevitable but that communication was needed to improve the riding conditions. Some skaters were not open to allowing bikers until the problem is resolved. “If I get hurt by a bike that is there illegally, is Redwood City going to pay for my medical bills?” asked one skater. Aguirre said it is the council’s priority to find a solution. “I see that you all have a passion for this. We all want to make this better. We want to build a community. Our job is to make this coexist. This is the council’s number one issue,” said Aguirre. Council Member Ian Bain 25.TheSpectrum.AUG.07
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