National City residents, labor organizers and educators gathered at the west end of Kimball Park Tuesday evening calling on their city government to make National City a sanctuary city and supporting California Senate Bill 54.
The crowd later marched to City Hall where they pleaded with elected representatives during the City Council meeting to put on pro-immigrant items on a City Council agenda for a future date.
Calls for an immigrant safe haven stem from two immigration raids by federal agents. On May 23, Immigration and Custom officials detained Francisco Duarte and Rosenda Perez, separating them from their four American born children. Their 19-year-old son, also named Francisco Duarte, has been caring for his siblings. Duarte has said his parents’ detention was unjustifiable.
“They took our parents from us,” he said. “We’re trying to be better people for ourselves, for our country… We are all trying to do better things for our life and then they (immigration officials) go do this to us.”
In February, federal authorities conducted a checkpoint at 30th Street and Highland Avenue, police officials confirmed.
It is unknown if there were any arrests or detainees.
National City resident Diamond Wallace said these sweeps need to stop.
“The thought that there could be a practice of people separating families, it sickens me,” Wallace, 27, said.
Councilwoman Alejandra Sotelo Solis said she has heard her constituents’ concerns and later in the regular council meeting moved to put a resolution discussing support for California Senate Bill 54 at a June 19 special meeting.
Sotelo Solis said it is time for National City officials to explore sanctuary status.
SB54, also known as the Sanctuary State bill, would limit the scope of state and local police cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
“I think it is more so how or residents, regardless of immigration status, see us as a municipality,” Sotelo Solis said. “Can we provide city services and public safety within the scope of our law for all of our residents?”
The special meeting will take place in order to redo a Welcoming City resolution as part of a settlement to a lawsuit that alleged Brown Act violations by the mayor and council members Jerry Cano and Albert Mendivil.
National City will discuss a Sanctuary City designation at an August council meeting.
