The People Are Heard: Immigration Initiative Public Comment

— by Margie Doyle —

County citizens demonstrate their support for the Immigration Initiative at County Council chambers on Tuesday, Aug. 15

On Tuesday, Aug. 15, some three dozen islanders, organized by the Orcas Women’s Coalition and the Our Revolution local movements, attended the County Council’s public hearing on whether or not the Council should approve Initiative 2017 as a county ordinance. (See previous story, https://theorcasonian.com/council-unanimously-approves-immigration-initiative/ )

They citizen-activists spilled out of the Legislative Chambers into another conference room where the hearing was streamed. Of the over two dozen who spoke regarding the initiative, only two commented in opposition to the measure.

Following are most of their comments to the County Council regarding the “Immigration Initiative.”

Rhea Miller  of Lopez: “Many ordinances on the books have ‘pickles,’ and frankly, that’s why you’ve been elected to office; to make those crucial decisions.

“We won a Civil War; we won World War I; we finally stopped a genocide to stop the profiling of people according to race and gender…. We ask that you take leadership on this. There were times when, as County Commissioner I’ve been so fortunate to know that I had so much public support that it was easy to take leadership. So I encourage you to do the right thing and pass this ordinance.”

Barbara Gurley of Lopez: “If we simply start with the basis of not racial profiling and not collecting immigration status on individuals, then there’s no information that goes in records to be subpoenaed and we’re not endangering people. We don’t need to [gather that information] and put people at risk. I work with a lot of immigrant families both on the mainland and here; and see the fear that they live with every day and children crying because they’re afraid. We don’t need to do that. We can protect and love our neighbors. There are very simple solutions here.
I want to thank [Councilman Jaimie Stephens] for his support. It’s so valuable that people feel like we are one and we will be there for each other and take care of each other.

“That’s what the San Juans are all about. I encourage you to pass [the initiative] so that we can continue to build that strong community.”

Anneke Fleming of Orcas: “I want to talk on behalf of my undocumented friends who can’t be here for obvious reasons… last summer when I was working as a housekeeper, I worked with primarily immigrant staff: some undocumented; some were illegal immigrants; some had protected status.
Before taking on the summer job I wasn’t aware of the fear that people live with, because of the progressive nature of Orcas Island and San Juan County, I thought that fear didn’t exist and I was so wrong.

“I’ve witnessed this fear not only with my friends that I work with but with my friends at school, some of whom are worried about their parents being deported, and some who are worried about going to college. I hope you will take leadership on this. There’s a clear right and wrong stance on what you need to do. The County Council can’t fix all the immigration problems that we have in this country but they can take this clear step.”

David Turnoy of Orcas spoke both personally and as local chair of San Juan County Democrats. “The ordinance before you today emanates from Governor Jay Inslee’s executive order and under the guidance of two state attorney generals: Bob Ferguson of Washington State and Eric Schneiderman of New York State. Ferguson encourages counties to get involved in this issue. We can’t fix the world’s problems, but we can fix our own little portion of it.”

Linda Norene from Lopez spoke of her decades of voting and signing petitions and “during that time I have told people that signing the petition is just to get the issue on the ballot for discussion and voting. Please do not adopt initiative 2017; instead please allow us the right to vote in November.”

Ronnie Klompas of Lopez: “Historical context is huge; it’s important to understand why a lot of immigrants come here and to recognize the huge personal impacts current immigration policies have on people’s lives. Families are being torn apart. I have personal friends who are living in fear right now. Most of us would agree that we are living in terrifying times, things are pretty scary for a lot of people. Given that this is the one thing that offers a tiny measure of protection to a significant minority of our population, this county needs to step up and show care. Showing some resistance to policies that harm a lot of people is an important part of leadership, given the amount of support that has been given to this policy, I think it’s incumbent upon you all to heed the voice of the people and pass this.”

Sheila Gaquin of Orcas cited historic American laws such as abolition of slavery, women’s suffrage and minimum wage that first began with local and state leadership. “Things have always been fixed at the national level starting from the bottom up.”

Susan Martin of San Juan spoke of the law enforcement aspect of the measure, first in support of policies that remove those who’ve committed crimes or pose a threat to others. She said, “This ordinance does nothing to impede those aims but rather it enhances them by providing and reassuring law-abiding, undocumented immigrants that would fear reporting crimes or serving as witnesses when they observe criminal activity.

“The ordinance tells law enforcement officials that they should not ask people questions that might require them to reveal their immigration status. This enables law enforcement to do their job in protecting the victims of crime and apprehending criminals. Law enforcement officials are required to comply with federal immigration authorities when presented with a valid warrant so migrants who have committed serious crimes can be deported expeditiously.”

Martin spoke of her research with federal immigration that showed that immigrants are more likely to be victims than perpetrators of crime: first generation immigrants were statistically less likely to commit crimes than their U.S. counterparts. She then described the ways the immigration system works, which rewards immigration officials for the number of people apprehended for possible immigration violations, rather than the number of people deported. She said, “As the search increases for people to be deported, it becomes more and more of a problem for our county. So if we want our county to be safe for our citizens, we really need to pass this ordinance.”

Carole Davis of Shaw Island spoke of her experience as a family therapist, probation officer, social worker and Spanish teacher, and as a visitor to Central America over decades and urged the council to “take a moral stand.”

“I really believe in cooperation in law enforcement communication; during my career I worked with those who were the most vulnerable. I want to live in a community where people feel safe from crime, safe to report crime – and safe from the xenophobic paranoia that has been plaguing our nation. This needs to start from the county and move upwards.

“Although I strongly support the sharing of information between county and federal officials, particularly when there’s a violent offense or felony, or there’s a federal judicial order to do so, I shudder at the thought of living in a county that would in any way collect, record or share information on the immigration status when it is irrelevant to the issue that the county is considering. I think the number of signatures shows the support. Please use your leadership to protect all the members of our county in an open and compassionate manner. Do not underestimate the power the three of you hold, and what kind of statement that makes to our community.”

Ann Whirledge-Karp of Lopez spoke of personal and work acquaintances who’d been traumatized by the changes in federal immigration policies: “Immigration has touched me deeply and personally. History is full of the stories of tragedies that stem from xenophobia, racism, nationalism and isolationism that pit people one against another. Currently on a daily basis we hear elements of these “isms” being promoted by our federal administration… already having numbing consequences on our communities. There could be solutions to the immigration issues facing our county by implementing humane policies that have a path toward citizenship.

“Children, both U.S.-born and undocumented are being tragically traumatized by this change in policy. This is not what the majority of our island residents want for our immigrant population. Please today do the right and humane thing. Make me proud that I live in a compassionate community that creates legal, local protection for our immigration friends, neighbors and family.”

Cindy Wolf of Orcas spoke of “the veil coming off the monsters of racism, xenophobia and sexism, all of that is being exposed and right now we need our most courageous leaders to step forward. Please adopt this initiative and know that we depend on you for your courage.”

Father Berto Gándara-Perea, born in Puerto Rico and learned English as the son of a U.S. Army Major in Germany, said, “If I, with all my privileges, an American citizen, the son of a physician, an Army Major, was discriminated against, I can’t imagine the fear our immigrant neighbors are experiencing with the alarming xenophobic, white supremacy discourse we’re hearing in our country.

“Adopting the initiative as an ordinance will mean a great deal to the immigrants who are so afraid of government officials. I’ve heard of fear of women afraid of grocery shopping, of going to church; of children afraid of going to school; fear of reporting a crime. Adoption of this initiative by the County Council will be a big step in diminishing some of these fears.”

Brenda Asterina of Lopez said, “All citizens of this county should feel safe, including immigrants and refugees. Depriving children of a safe environment due to prejudice and bullying because of their ethnicity, and due to the present climate in our country that there is this kind of fear and terror within our own community, is an abomination. Certainly what’s going on now is disrupting our society. [Former Supreme] Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor spoke of the importance of the checks and balances of local, state and federal laws, and the importance of balancing federalism with good local and state laws. You can create a safer county today, we can secure a better tomorrow by passing the ordinance.”

Mary Gardner of Orcas who has had careers in education and law enforcement, said “This ordinance contains guidelines — clear, best practices — and ought to be a gift to county employees who are here to protect and serve county residents, to make their job easier. There is no place safer than our local community. We all need to stand up and make a careful statement. That is what community is. That is what community does.”

Maria Quinones of Waldron said all people seek “security peace, food, family. We are the human family. In the country of laws, you are there to guide us and to do the best you can for all of us, on our behalf. Please pass this ordinance for all of us, not with the mindset of ‘us against them, of officials vs law enforcement; we all want peace and good quality of life.”

Judy Scott of Orcas spoke of her efforts with Fast for Families in 2013 to demand the national House of Representatives act on comprehensive immigration reform. The law didn’t go to a vote and now, “four years later, we’re in a mess.” She quoted Rev. Jim Wallis of Sojourners who said in 2013, “We have a broken political situation and we have a broken immigration system in this country. Because of broken politics, we’re seeing broken lives.”

She also quoted Rev. Bernice King who said in 2013, “The right time is now, the correct time is now, the only time is now.”

Scott told the Council, “Now we’re saying that action has got to be taken at the local level that we start making sure action is taken, that we are heard around the country. I’ve been a lawyer for 40 years and I don’t know of any statute that was written in a perfect way. The Civil Rights Act has been litigated up and down but was that critical for the legislators to take the initiative and pass that law in 1964? Absolutely. I’m asking you now to look at the big picture and pass this initiative now that everyone has been so eloquently speaking of today.”

Eleanor Hoague read a statement from Norm Stamper of Orcas, former Police Chief in San Diego and Seattle: “We took the view that city cops are not immigration officers, our job was to help protect all residents of the city, regardless of immigration status. We wanted to encourage all residents to work in partnership with their local cops, to report crimes, from domestic violence to robbery, sexual assault to burglary.” Stamper continued that, to that end, those law enforcement departments enforced policies as stated in the the San Juan County Immigration Initiative.

Hoague then said, “I wrote this initiative because I don’t like the tenor of the discussion of immigration at the federal level right now and I think a lot of people don’t like it. We have seen what comes out of anger and divisiveness, and what we’re trying to do is to tie our communities together as much as we can. I hope you will adopt it now.”

Daniel Schwartz of San Juan Island described the initiative as “an attack on the rule of law.” He said there were “ample means” for citizens to change federal law. He spoke of the costs to counties that have declared sanctuary to illegal immigrants, of “suppressed wages, prison populations, educational costs and medical and hospital expenses …just to name a few.” Finally he said that failure to secure borders from illegal immigration is “dereliction of duty.”

Susan Arndt of Waldron read the words that a young man from Mexico had given to her the previous night: “I understand when law enforcement officers have to act to protect the sovereignty of the country from intruders who may be a threat to it, so those involved in illicit activities deserve to be deported or be in prison.

“Parallel to this, I would like to speak of those who have to hide every day to do their best in their jobs to bring a better future in their homes; those who have to appear invisible in front of this nation, want to do things that they’ve dreamed but could not achieve because of the circumstances in their respective countries; those who do their best to be a part of this country and who live by the rules, even though those rules will never protect them. Those people deserve my respect and all my admiration and I hope that one day this system will start looking at them as human beings.”

Dennis Conrad of Friday Harbor said, “We ask you whom we’ve elected to do the right thing for all the residents of our county, to vote for this initiative.”