Anaheim leaders on Tuesday, April 8, declared their town a “Welcoming City,” hoping to quell fears in the immigrant community and reassure residents and visitors that they can feel safe when reaching out to police officers and firefighters when they need help.
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The resolution, passed unanimously by the City Council, comes in light of Trump administration officials promising to conduct mass deportations and ramp up federal immigration enforcement across the country.
“I think it’s important to highlight, especially during these times, that symbolism, words — they matter,” said Councilmember Carlos Leon, who brought forward the idea. “When there’s these talks about mass deportations in our community, that elicits real fear. That strikes fear in our communities. It makes people feel uncertain. It makes people feel unsafe.”
Last month during a rally organized by young people in Anaheim, Leon signed a petition in support of the immigrant community, he said, which also asked the city to strengthen its “Welcoming City” policy. The petition said students worry about their parents being taken away from them and they feel unsafe engaging with city services. Leon, at the council meeting, acknowledged the city’s youth for speaking out on the issue.
The City Council last declared Anaheim a “Welcoming City” in 2017, the first year of President Donald Trump’s previous term.
The new resolution states that Anaheim’s police and fire departments have no role in the enforcement of federal immigration policies and have a responsibility to protect all residents and visitors regardless of citizenship status.
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