HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 10/01/2019 - RESOLUTION 2019-100 REGARDING IMMIGRATION CONDITIOAgenda Item 11
Item # 11 Page 1
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY October 1, 2019
City Council
STAFF
Tyler Marr, Deputy Director, Information & Employee Services
Carrie M. Daggett, Legal
SUBJECT
Resolution 2019-100 Regarding Immigration Conditions at the Southern Border of the United States and Its
Impact on the Fort Collins Community.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The purpose of this item is to acknowledge the impact that national events have on the immigrant communities
within Fort Collins, state that Fort Collins welcomes those lawfully seeking asylum, and to encourage
participation with public safety agencies and in the decennial Census. The resolution also calls upon the
United States Congress and the Trump administration to take action to prevent any inhumane treatment at the
southern border and to quickly create a sustainable pathway for immigration into the United States, and sets
out related follow up actions.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends adoption of the Resolution.
BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION
City Council has been asked at multiple Council meetings by members of the public to make a statement about
immigrant communities in Fort Collins and the situation at the southern United States border. Subsequent to
the first meeting where Council was asked and gave direction, there have been several iterations of a
resolution reviewed by the Legislative Review Committee (LRC).
Staff has prepared this version of the Resolution tailored specifically to impacts in Fort Collins surrounding fear
of immigrant communities and the potential lack of engagement, particularly in areas of sensitive concern such
as public safety and accurate representation through the Decennial Census. In addition to calling for
Congressional and Presidential action, the Resolution indicates that the City will add relevant and associated
statements into the Legislative Policy Agenda and that City Council will discuss these topics with the City’s
Congressional delegation during an upcoming lobbying visit.
This Resolution comes after significant community engagement work conducted in 2017 and 2018 around the
topic of Community Trust. The attached memorandum that was sent to City Council on September 19 indicates
where examples of continued work has been done in the time since the formal Community Trust Initiative
concluded.
PUBLIC OUTREACH
Significant public outreach was conducted as part of the Community Trust Initiative.
Agenda Item 11
Item # 11 Page 2
ATTACHMENTS
1. Memo Updating on Community Trust, September 19, 2019 (PDF)
2. Powerpoint presentation (PDF)
ATTACHMENT 1
October 1, 2019
Immigration Resolution
ATTACHMENT 2
Process that Led to Resolution
2
Public Comment
LRC Discussion
on
Resolution/Public
Dialogue
Conversation w/
Center for Public
Deliberation
Further LRC/LPT
discussion
Staff
Resolution recommendation
Key Components of Resolution
1. Addresses engagement of immigrant communities
2. Advocates for immigration reform at the federal level
3. Legislative Policy Agenda language for LRC consideration
4. States that Council will engage federal elected officials about this
issue
3
Next Steps
• Legislative Policy Agenda work
underway
• Continued relationship building
around community trust
• Council lobbying trip to
Washington in October
4
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RESOLUTION 2019-100
OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS
REGARDING IMMIGRATION CONDITIONS AT THE SOUTHERN BORDER OF THE
UNITED STATES AND ITS IMPACT ON THE FORT COLLINS COMMUNITY
WHEREAS, Fort Collins welcomes and celebrates immigrants and their role in our
City’s history and in the greater fabric and history of the United States; and
WHEREAS, in 2018 and the first part of 2019, thousands of people, including families
with children, asked for asylum at the United States’ border with Mexico; and
WHEREAS, recent events at the border between the United States and Mexico highlight
potential humanitarian issues – particularly concerning children being separated from their
families and the conditions in which they are being held in separation; and
WHEREAS, the national focus on this topic is not inseparable from Fort Collins
immigrant communities, and reports on this situation have caused fear among communities
living in Fort Collins; and
WHEREAS, this fear manifests itself in a variety of ways, but of importance to the City
is a fear of engaging with government authorities; and
WHEREAS, the City is concerned that this fear of the government could discourage
people from engaging with public safety agencies, and could prevent the Decennial Census from
obtaining an accurate count of people living in Fort Collins, putting at risk accurate
representation in Congress and in the Colorado General Assembly, as well as federal funding;
and
WHEREAS, understanding this fear and its impact on the community, the City Council
wants to reiterate that this City is committed to building trust among all our residents,
particularly our immigrant communities, and that we believe their contributions and presence in
this community make for a stronger City and
WHEREAS, the City recognizes that our community alone cannot solve the national
issues which are inherently causing many of these challenges at a local level.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
FORT COLLINS as follows:
Section 1. That the City Council wishes to foster a Fort Collins community that is
welcoming to those lawfully seeking asylum in the United States and wants residents to feel
secure in their homes.
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Section 2. That the City Council encourages all local residents to report crimes and
come forward as victims and witnesses of crimes, and to participate in the Decennial Census,
regardless of their race, ethnicity, national origin or immigration status.
Section 3. That the City Council calls upon President Trump and his administration,
as well as the United States Congress, to act immediately to prevent inhumane treatment of
persons, especially minors, at the southern border, and implores the administration to quickly
reunify immigrant families through whatever means reasonably possible.
Section 4. That the City Council urges the President and Congress, particularly the
leadership of the House and Senate, to create a sustainable pathway for immigration into the
United States, especially for those who fear for their lives or their safety.
Section 5. That the City Council directs the City Manager to include measures
consistent with this Resolution in the City’s Legislative Policy Agenda to be presented to the
Legislative Review Committee for consideration before the end of 2019.
Section 6. That it is the intent of the City Council that those members of Council
participating in upcoming meetings with members of the Colorado Congressional delegation
urge those members of Congress to take action as described herein.
Passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the Council of the City of Fort Collins this 1st
day of October, A.D. 2019.
__________________________________
Mayor
ATTEST:
_____________________________
City Clerk