City of Austin Council Message Board

Colleagues,

After hosting a community conversation with APD Chief Davis about Federal Immigration enforcement activities, as well as several local stakeholder meetings and one-on-one conversations with residents, the message from our community is clear: Austinites expect their local officials to stand up for them against any threat to their personal safety and civil rights.

To that end, I, along with my colleagues Mayor Pro Tem Vela and Councilmembers Velasquez, Alter and Qadri, have sent a memo to City Manager Broadnax with several requests that we believe will further protect Austin residents from abuses on physical safety and civil rights and will ensure accountability for all who perpetrate such abuses.

The memo includes direction to:
- Defend the First Amendment by ensuring de-escalation protocols, protect peaceful protestors, including in situations involving federal presence or provocation;
- Defend the Fourth Amendment by quickly and decisively responding to reports of warrantless searches or unlawful entry;
- Ensure accountability by reporting and documenting violence or unlawful conduct by federal agents;
- End secret policing by prohibiting all law enforcement from wearing face coverings while exercising police powers, and;
- Empower the public through expanded education of rights and access to legal representation.

As current events regarding federal immigration enforcement activities in our region continues to change, we are committed to prioritizing the public safety and civil rights of all Austinites, and, to the best we are able, ensure that the City of Austin is a trusted institution for all who reside here. I welcome other colleagues to support the direction of this memo and look forward to continuing to work with our City administration to see these commitments through.

Memo: http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 110813.pdf


In community,

Vanessa Fuentes, Council Member District 2
José Velasquez, Austin City Council, District 3
José “Chito” Vela, Mayor Pro Tem, Austin City Council, District 4
Ryan Alter, Austin City Council, District 5
Zohaib Qadri, Austin City Council, District 9

Colleagues,

Thank you for the work you have done to arrive at a model for the City’s next steps. I proudly represent the entire District 6 community, regardless of national origin or immigration status. I would like to add my name in support of your recommendations, and I look forward to future discussion with the public, City staff, and our partner organizations.

Sincerely,

Krista

Dear Mayor Pro Tem Vela and Councilmembers Fuentes, Velasquez, Alter, and Qadri,

Thank you for laying out this direction to protect the fundamental rights of Austin community members. It is critical that the City show up in every way possible, to provide protection from violent and unlawful conduct by federal agents, and to lead by example and show how local government can be a force for good.

I support your requests in the attached memorandum and trust that City staff and APD leaders can ensure these goals are implemented through policy updates and training opportunities. I would also ask the City Manager to track citizen complaints regarding federal action, including any incidents of excessive force or unlawful entry.

With regards to the measure to prohibit secret police: I would also ask that we require law enforcement officers operating within Austin to display names and identification numbers. This is especially important given the rise across the country of criminal ICE impersonators posing as immigration officials to commit crimes and kidnap civilians. When dealing with masked, unidentified people claiming to be ICE or other law enforcement officials, APD should investigate possible charges of kidnapping and impersonation of law enforcement, as well as any violation of our proposed facial covering rules.

Further, to build on your proposals to protect fundamental rights, I’d like to explore an additional reform suggested by community groups representing survivors of domestic violence, immigrants, and other vulnerable groups. The idea is to implement a policy to not run warrant checks on victims when responding to calls, so long as there is no reason to independently suspect them of a crime. My understanding is that alternative identification measures already exist, and I believe that adoption of such a policy will build trust between APD and vulnerable communities. I also want to be mindful of officer safety, but I believe there should be a way to thread that needle and ensure that victims feel safe going to the police for help.

I hope you find these proposals supportive of the essential goals you have laid out and look forward to the work ahead.

With respect,
Mike