(Photo taken on Dec. 15, 2016: Richard Konda, Executive Director of ALA, speaking before the Children, Seniors and Families Committee of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors – Immigration Hearing)
Resolution of the Board of Supervisors of the County of Santa Clara Responding to the 2016 Presidential Election
12 December 2016 – Before the Board of Supervisors, Richard Konda spoke on behalf of ALA in support of the Resolution, stating:
Santa Clara County should build on its legacy of providing the greatest protection for immigrants.
- We applaud the County for your continuing to lead the way in shielding immigrants from deportation and pursuing efforts to recognize immigrants’ humanity by creating an action plan for community outreach and legal representation and respecting the due process they deserve
- No other area of American law allows us to lock people up and make them fight against trained government lawyers without assistance of an attorney. The time is now for Santa Clara County to stand in unity to uphold and defend our immigrant communities
- Over 1/3 of the County’s residents who are immigrants and over 180,000 who are undocumented call Santa Clara County home – from Palo Alto to Gilroy – and they are each deeply rooted in our lives and communities. Ensuring they all remain with their loved ones and communities has been a core principle of this County’s values
- Now, more than ever, Santa Clara County must fortify its commitment to ensure that everyone is armed with information to protect themselves with the prospect of increased immigration enforcement and have a fair chance fighting their deportation case
- There is pride within the immigrant community that our County is fiercely standing up against the dangerous and hate-fueled policies of President-elect Trump.
The resolution passed with 3 votes from Supervisors Dave Cortese, Cindy Chavez, and Ken Yeager. Supervisors Joe Simitian and Mike Wasserman abstained.
The full Resolution can be seen below.
—
County of Santa Clara, 12/12/16
WHEREAS, Donald J. Trump is poised to become the 45th President of the United States of America, notwithstanding his loss of the popular vote by over 2 million votes; and
WHEREAS, the President-Elect has repeatedly made statements offensive to women, immigrants, religious minorities, racial and ethnic minorities, veterans, the disabled, the LGBTQ community, and the general public; and
WHEREAS, the President-Elect has threatened to create a registry of Muslim Americans, to ban all Muslims from entering the country, to deport millions of undocumented immigrants, to build a wall on the country’s border with Mexico, to impose an ideological test for entry to the United States, and to withhold federal funds from sanctuary cities; and
WHEREAS, the President-Elect has promised to repeal federal regulations protecting LGBTQ individuals; to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which ensures health care coverage for millions of Americans; to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement; and to remove other environmental protections put in place by President Obama’s administration; and
WHEREAS, the President-Elect has expressed support for a roll-back of women’s reproductive rights, the suppression of free speech and an independent press, and unconstitutional racial profiling by law enforcement; and
WHEREAS, the President-Elect has refused to conform to the standards for transparency and ethics that the American people have come to expect from their elected officials; and
WHEREAS, the President-Elect and his campaign have routinely disseminated misinformation in blatant disregard of scientific and other facts; and
WHEREAS, the President-Elect’s appointees so far have expressed views and values that are alarmingly out of step with the views and values of Santa Clara County; and
WHEREAS, the presidential election has exposed and given rise to deep schisms in the social, political, and other views of the American public; and
WHEREAS, the presidential election has empowered certain individuals to express and act on their intolerance of people who are different from them; and
WHEREAS, the nation has experienced a dramatic surge in hate crimes and other assaults on women, immigrants, religious minorities, racial and ethnic minorities, and LGBTQ individuals in the aftermath of the presidential election; and
WHEREAS, California has seen a similarly disturbing increase in hate crimes and other attacks on vulnerable communities following the presidential election; and
WHEREAS, certain attacks on minority groups in Santa Clara County have been, or appear to have been, connected to the presidential election; and
WHEREAS, Santa Clara County is home to an incredibly diverse population, with two- thirds being non-White (not Hispanic or Latino), one-half speaking a language other than English, more than one-third foreign born, and approximately 4o/o identifying as LGBTQ; and
WHEREAS, Santa Clara County is also the birthplace and heart of Silicon Valley, which thrives on the talent and hard work of its diverse workforce; and
WHEREAS, Santa Clara County was the first county in the nation to establish an Office of LGBTQ Affairs, in addition to establishing an Office of Immigrant Relations, Office of Women’s Policy, Office of Cultural Competency, md Office of Human Relations; and
WHEREAS, Santa Clara County recognizes that large segments of our community are fearful, struggling, and vulnerable in light of recent events;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Supervisors of the County of Santa Clara, State of California, that Santa Clara County unequivocally rejects the politics of fear and hate, which have divided our fellow Americans; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Santa Clara County continues to embrace all people, regardless of their skin color, country of birth, faith, sex, gender, partners, or abilities; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Santa Clara County condemns the hate crimes and other forms of harassment that have targeted women, immigrants, religious minorities, racial and ethnic minorities, and LGBTQ individuals leading up to and following the presidential election; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Santa Clara County shall not waver rn our commitment to fostering a safe and inclusive community for our diverse population; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Santa Clara County shall steadfastly defend the Constitution and safeguard the rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Santa Clara County shall resist any and all efforts to profile undocumented immigrants or report them to the federal government for immigration enforcement; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Santa Clara County will continue our efforts to ensure that law enforcement operates in a just, unbiased, and transparent manner to protect our community; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Santa Clara County will continue serving as a safety net for the most vulnerable members of our community; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that even if the federal government strips Americans of their health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, Santa Clara County will continue working to ensure health care for all of our residents without regard to their ability to pay; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Santa Clara County will continue standing with women and the LGBTQ community to protect their rights; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Santa Clara County will continue to promote civility, honesty, truthfulness, and mutual respect in all areas of civil and political discourse; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Santa Clara County calls on members of our community to hew to our values as Americans; to be vigilant against attacks on those values; to protect one another; to overcome the politics of fear and hate; to bridge our divides; to stay informed and engaged; to participate in our great democracy; and to set an example for the rest of the nation; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Santa Clara County calls on President-Elect Trump to serve and protect all Americans, without prejudice on the basis of race, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, or disability; to serve as President without regard for ego or personal gain; to conduct himself in the ethical, dignified, and diplomatic manner expected of the President of the United States of America; to respect facts, science, truth, the Constitution of the United States of America, and the Bill of Rights; and to promulgate policies for the general welfare of our entire nation.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of Supervisors of the County of Santa Clara, State of California, on December 12, 2016, by the following vote:
AYES: 3
Abstain: 2