Residents, Faith, and Community Leaders gathered on May 11, 2010 to encourage Mayor and City Council to have the courage to oppose SB1070, strengthen police department policies and send a message to Washington D.C urging Congress to move quickly to fix our broken immigration system.
Chula Vista, CA. – Since Arizona’s Governor Brewer signed SB 1070 into law on April 23, 2010, our nation has been at an uproar about how we ought to deal with a fractured immigration system. Several local governments from Los Angeles, El Paso, San Francisco, and San Diego have taken formal positions opposing Arizona’s SB 1070. In some cases, cities have called for economic sanctions on Arizona, asking their employees to cancel travel and/or expenditures with the State of Arizona.
Blanca Gonsalez, long time resident of Chula Vista and member of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church says, “As Chula Vistans, we must act immediately, because there is a sense of shock and fear amongst Immigrants, Latinos in Chula Vista and around the Country. There is a fear of the potential for this hateful, racist racial profiling law to be introduced in other states across the country, creating within our communities wider divisions amongst people of different races, ethnicities, and nationalities. As Chula Vistans we must make it clear that these hateful policies have no place in our city.”
On May 4th, one day after the passage of Councilmember Ben Hueso’s resolution opposing SB1070 in the City of San Diego, several Chula Vista residents addressed their Mayor and Council asking them to follow in the steps of their neighboring city, and take action. By the end of the council meeting, the Council voted to create a committee led by Mayor Cheryl Cox and Councilmember Rudy Ramirez. That committee was tasked to return to the full council with a proposed resolution.
On May 11th, Chula Vista parents, children, teachers, lawyers, advocates, business owners and people of faith addressed the council again, in support of the three principles, they request be encompassed in the resolution:
1.Opposition to Arizona’s passage of SB 1070
2. Strengthen local CV Police Department policies to continue to foster trusting relationship with immigrants and residents of color.
3.Send a strong message to Members of Congress to get to work as soon as possible on addressing our failed immigration policy.
To view the video of public testimony at Chula Vista City Council Meetings click dates below. (you can jump to public comment section)
May 4, 2010
and
May 11, 2010
