Oakland City Council updates 'city of refuge' ordinance

New version offers haven regardless of why immigrants left

Christopher Heredia, Chronicle Staff Writer (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.

This article appeared on page B - 4 of the San Francisco Chronicle.