The Abridged version:
- The Woodland City Council passed a resolution Tuesday reaffirming its support for the city’s immigrant population.
- The move comes on the heels of nationwide immigration enforcement and protests.
- Woodland’s city services will be available to everyone, regardless of immigration status.
In a unanimously adopted resolution, the Woodland City Council on Tuesday reaffirmed its commitment to serve its immigrant population as national enforcement escalates.
Citing an increased level of fear related to everyday activities, including accessing services, reporting crimes and sending children to school, the council’s resolution specified that city services will continue to be available to everyone, regardless of immigration status.
The council also said that Woodland police “will not use City resources to engage in immigration enforcement activities except as required by state or federal law.” This policy is not new and is consistent with the statewide California Values Act, which passed in 2017 and limits local law enforcement’s ability to collaborate with federal immigration enforcement activity.
“The resolution affirms that public safety depends on trust between residents and local government, including law enforcement, and that all residents should feel safe reporting crimes, accessing City services, and participating in civic life without fear,” said Mayor Pro Tem Mayra Vega in a news release.
“When families feel secure, children learn, businesses invest, and neighborhoods remain safe. This is about standing up for the people who stand up for Woodland every single day,” she said.
Sign Up for the Yolo County Newsletter
Stay in-the-know on all things Yolo! Weekly email with stories and insights from Yolo County reporter Daniel Hennessy.
Council members pointed to the contributions Woodland’s immigrant population has made to the region’s economy and social fabric.
“Our immigrant families are our neighbors, our coworkers, our small business owners and the backbone of our agricultural economy,” Vega said.
Why now?
The move comes as federal immigration raids and resulting protests have intensified in recent weeks.
Woodland Mayor Tom Stallard said Tuesday that the resolution is in direct response to the violence in Minneapolis, where two protesters were killed by federal immigration officials.
“We have to speak up,” he said in an interview. “It wasn’t us this time, but it could be us next time.”
That sentiment was echoed by Jake Whitaker, who spoke in support of the resolution during the public comment period.
“While we cannot solve the issue of complex immigration reform from the dais of the Woodland City Council, as much as I wish we could, we can choose the kind of community we want to be and the values we affirm our commitment to,” he said. “At a time when excessive federal immigration enforcement tactics have put our immigrant communities in the crosshairs, it is imperative that our immigrant neighbors know that their local leaders and public safety officers are committed to support and protect them.”
Daniel Hennessy joins Abridged from the California Local News Fellowship. He’s a reporter covering Yolo County.