Davis representatives on the County Board of Supervisors, Don Saylor and Jim Provenza, have introduced a resolution that would affirm Yolo County as a safe and welcoming community.
The resolution states that “Yolo County is committed to doing right by others through public service and maintaining the trust of our residents and peers. Together, we will continue to foster a healthy, supportive and professional environment, striving always for excellence.”
It continues, “Yolo County is committed to assuring social, economic and physical environments are created and supported which promote good health and protect vulnerable populations so that community members and future generations have the opportunity to learn and grow to their full potential.”
It commits that “Yolo County is safe, tolerant and welcoming to all individuals in our community regardless of their national origin, ethnicity, immigration status, religion, race, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, political affiliation, marital status, age, or disability.”
The resolution continues, saying that “we recognize the historic and current contributions and value of diverse people and backgrounds to the health, wellbeing and economic vitality of Yolo County” and “we value the strength families and our workforce bring to our local economy, regardless of immigration status.
“Yolo County, its cities, schools and institutions of higher learning are home to thousands of international students, faculty, scholars, documented and undocumented immigrants, working families and children of diverse backgrounds.”
It recognizes that “the current national climate has caused residents of Yolo County a heightened level of fear, concern, uncertainty and confusion related to the treatment of those perceived as noncitizens who are lawfully or unlawfully present in Yolo County and the County’s institutions of learning.”
It sees that the reality of “recent acts of vandalism and acts of violence affecting community members has created a climate of fear and intimidation” and argues that “Yolo County values safety, equal protection and treatment of all people in our community.”
While Yolo County is not formally a sanctuary county, the resolution notes that the current practices avoid entanglement in immigration issues. Specifically, “the Yolo County Sheriff detains individuals as needed based on their alleged crime, not their immigration status” and “the Yolo County Sheriff does not generally provide information about or access to individuals to any federal agency other than required by specific order.”
The resolution then does the following:
- Reaffirms that Yolo County is a safe and welcoming place for all people;
- Commits to, to the fullest extent provided by the law, protecting the privacy of members of our community who may be adversely affected by attempts to collect identity information;
- Will provide essential services to all County residents as allowed by the law;
- Will continue to monitor and take appropriate action to ensure family unity, community security, respect, due process and support for all residents of Yolo County; and
- Will continue to promote the health and safety of residents through professional interactions by law enforcement with county residents without regard to immigration status.
—David M. Greenwald reporting
