A delegation calling themselves “Heights Indivisible” urged City Council to go with “Sanctuary City” status for immigrants on Monday (Feb.6). Tom Jewell/Special to cleveland.com
CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio — After listening to an hour of comments from residents on both sides of the issue, council voted 6-1 Monday for extending “Welcoming City” status in the face of federal immigration restrictions.
Rather than going with full-fledged designation as a “Sanctuary City,” city officials saw a way to “strongly object” to the recent Presidential Executive Order without jeopardizing millions of dollars in federal funding.
“The Executive Order has directly impacted Cleveland Heights, as at least one known resident of our city, Dr. Suha Abushamma of the Cleveland Clinic, has been denied re-entry into the U.S.,” the legislation states.
In addition to Abushamma, a citizen of Sudan who is here on a work visa, the resolution mentions the plight of immigrants from six other red-lined countries where people “risked their lives to assist American service members, including English-Arabic translators.”
With at least 400 refugees living in Cleveland Heights, and outcry from residents wanting the city to do something about the immigration ban, Councilwoman Carol Roe last week asked the law department to look into formally adopting “Sanctuary City” status, like Cincinnati has done.
“I’m still not sure what it means to be a ‘Sanctuary City,'” noted Councilwoman Melissa Yasinow about the legal ramifications. “But there is concern that it could cost the city millions of dollars.”
It is a term broadly applied to roughly 70 cities and counties that choose not to partner with federal officials to enforce immigration laws.
But since local police don’t have the authority to enforce federal law, and their cooperation is voluntary, the term often means that local police do not inquire about someone’s immigration status, especially if they are reporting a crime.
Resident Robert Shwab expressed concern about the city interfering with federal policy and harboring those sought by the FBI — “people who should be deported.”
But as council discussed the legislation prior to the regular meeting during its Committee-of-the-Whole session Monday, chanting and singing could be heard from picketers downstairs in the lobby.
One of the refrains was “Heights police are nice — don’t make them into ‘ICE!'” a reference to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The coalition of protesters, loosely calling themselves “Heights Indivisible,” wrapped up with a rendition of “America the Beautiful” before filing into a packed council chambers.
Police Chief Annette Mecklenburg, who joined the force in 1990, said she could “probably count on one hand the times we’ve come in contact with an undocumented alien.”
During the regular meeting, resident and immigration attorney Svetlana Schreiber pointed out that Cleveland Heights has a “long history of embracing diversity” and urged council to be “on the forefront of a very imprtant issue and allow me to be proud of my city.”
Resident Maureen Lynn asked if the city planned on raising local taxes if federal funds were withheld.
“I don’t know where you think the money’s going to come from if we lose federal funding,” Lee said. “You need to take a step back and think about the real issues we are facing in this community.”
Those were some of the reasons that Councilwoman Mary Dunbar cast the lone vote against the “Welcoming City” resolution, which she noted was only presented to council immediately prior to the meeting.
Dunbar objected to language that condemned the Executive Order as “unlawful.”
“I have no idea if it’s ‘unlawful’ — that’s why it’s in court,” Dunbar said. “As for being a ‘welcoming city,’ I think we already are and I prefer to spend time on issues like the ones raised by Paul Greenberg.”
Greenberg, with the Boulevard Neighbors, addressed council about longtime “blatant eyesores” in the city, saying he believes residents deserve better.
Councilman Kahlil Seren, who said it is not city policy to “proactively enforce immigration laws,” called a meeting of the Public Safety and Health Committee at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 15 to further explore the “Sanctuary City” classification.
Seren called the “Welcoming City” status a “step in the right direction.”
But he told Greenberg there will also be discussion of possible legislation to revoke occupancy permits for deadbeat landlords so they can no longer rent their properties.
Council also heard at both meetings from Danielle Drake with the Us Together refugee resettlement agency, which helps roughly 300 refugees a year out of its Rockefeller Pointe office.
Meanwhile, resident Charles Drake warned council members’ actions could be a “direct contradiction to the oath of office each one of you took to uphold the Constitution,” also putting federal dollars in jeopardy.
In the end, council took the “Welcoming City” approach, at least for now, which Roe was satisfied with.
She cited a memo from Assistant Law Director Elizabeth Rothenberg stating that with the resolution, there would be no new police policies.
“And it will symbolically reject the Executive Order and affirm Cleveland Heights’ commitment to being a diverse and welcoming city,” wrote Rothenberg, who crafted the legislation with City Law Director Jim Juliano.
Councilman Michael Ungar commended the crowd for holding the debate with the “utmost civility,” saying that while some may accuse the city of “punting,” he was very mindful of the risk of putting federal funds at risk, calling it a “credible threat.”
Ungar cited a letter from Rev. John Lentz, pastor of Forest Hill Presbyterian Church.
“It is important to do something,” Lentz wrote. “They need to know they are welcome and the police will protect them.”
Yasinow said there are “still many aspects here to unpack. And I want something that has impacts beyond a ‘feel-good'” reaction.
Vice Mayor Jason Stein read the resolution in its entirety, in part calling the Executive Order “an anathema to our shared values as a nation of immigrants, a nation that grants relief and safe haven to people from war-torn countries and from religious, ethnic and all other forms of persecution.”
Resident C.J. Nash said she found a proposal to establish a “Muslim Registry” to be “very disturbing” and urged people to call state and federal legislators to stop it and put an end to “political propaganda.”
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