[migrawatch-public] [Fwd: Oakland updates 'city of refuge' ordinance]

*The San Francisco Chronicle, May 16, 2007*

*Council updates 'city of refuge' ordinance*

New version offers haven regardless of why immigrants left

Christopher Heredia, Chronicle Staff Writer
<mailto:cheredia@sfchronicle.com>

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Oakland joined the list of cities opposing federal crackdowns on illegal
immigrants Tuesday night when the City Council unanimously declared
Oakland a "city of refuge" and condemned recent federal immigration raids.

*The council voted 8-0 to adopt a resolution by Mayor Ron Dellums,
Council President Ignacio De La Fuente and two council members
lambasting the recent raids, including one April 20 at an East Oakland
manufacturer. *

The resolution updates and broadens Oakland's 1986 refuge ordinance so
the city provides a haven to undocumented immigrants regardless of
national origin or reasons for leaving their home countries. The
original ordinance applied only to refugees fleeing political violence
in Haiti, El Salvador, Guatemala and South Africa.

*The measure by Dellums and De La Fuente, co-sponsored by council
members Jean Quan and Jane Brunner, instructs city officials not to
cooperate with any federal investigation, detention or arrest procedures
for civil immigration violations, except where local cooperation is
mandated. *

*The refuge declaration is just as relevant today as it was 21 years
ago, said De La Fuente, a native of Mexico. There was an urgent need to
update the declaration, he said, adding that federal immigration
policies are in need of comprehensive reform. *

The measure calls for immigration reform nationwide. It urges a
suspension of federal immigration raids and asks the federal government
to adopt fair, comprehensive and humane federal immigration laws. It
also affirms the city's policy against local enforcement of civil
immigration laws, while allowing Oakland authorities to work with
federal agents in crimes and public safety matters involving immigrants.

/E-mail Christopher Heredia at cheredia@sfchronicle.com
<mailto:cheredia@sfchronicle.com>. THIS STORY RAN IN THE EAST BAY EDITION/

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/05/16/BAG1DPRQTU1.DTL

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