Cotati City Council
Agenda Staff Report
Item type: REGULAR AGENDA (ACTION)
To: City Council
Subject: RESOLUTION TO PROTECT COMMUNITY SAFETY IN THE
EVENT OF A SIGNIFICANT IMMIGRATION ACTION
Date: April 14, 2026
Written by: Damien O'Bid, City Manager
Recommendation
It is recommended that the City Council adopt a resolution that restates our values and implements measures to protect the rights of immigrants and the safety of all members of our community in the event of a significant federal immigration action.
Background
At the City Council meeting on March 24, 2026, the City Council and the Community Police Advisory Committee held a joint meeting to discuss potential options to prepare for the possibility of significant immigration actions that could disrupt and potentially endanger the community. This included a review and discussion of the various actions taken in other states, as well as actions taken regionally here in California and finally locally, within Sonoma County.
Analysis/Discussion
After discussing the various options, the City Council and Community Police Advisory Committee directed staff to bring forward a resolution, similar to the action taken by the County of Sonoma, that restates our values, the existing immigrant protections in California and provides additional measures to protect our community that are feasible within the context of the limited resources of a small city. To further this, the resolution also directs engagement with the County Department of Emergency Management (DEM) to determine how to best collaborate in the event of a significant immigration action. As discussed during the March 24, 2026 joint meeting, DEM has not yet completed the associated Concept of Operations (CONOP), so staff will continue to coordinate with DEM to integrate this scenario into our disaster planning.
The proposed resolution also incorporates specific elements discussed by the City Council and Community Police Advisory Committee at the joint meeting. These include:
• Concerns about federal immigration searches without valid warrants. • Ensuring police response to emergency calls about potential immigration actions. • Collection and documentation of information that could potentially be used later for legal proceedings.
• Finding referring to immigrant resources, linked from the City website.
Lastly, the resolution includes references to the various non-governmental organizations in Sonoma County that are addressing immigrant legal protection as well as other wrap around services, all of which are available on the City website.
Financial Considerations
The costs to implement the resolution will depend on the actions (or non-actions) of the federal government. If there are no significant immigration actions in Cotati, the cost to implement the resolution will be negligible. If there are significant immigration actions in Cotati, it could result in significant, currently unquantifiable amounts of overtime for police staff and potentially other hourly City staff. If the City were to take civil legal action against the federal government, depending on the nature of the action and number of other agencies involved, it could also result in significant costs. However, any civil action would need to be authorized by the City Council at that time.
It is estimated that the coordination and planning for joint response with the County DEM will likely take about 40 hours of staff time, which would be initiated once the draft CONOP is completed.
Environmental Issues
Where it can be determined with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA review.
This general rule can be applied to activities which could be subject to the CEQA process, but which logic dictates should not be subject to CEQA review. Therefore, based on the information provided above, the proposed resolution is exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section 14.03.021 of the CEQA Guidelines in that there is no possibility that the activity may have a significant impact on the environment.