Agenda Item A.7
CPMS CONSENT CALENDAR
Meeting Date: December 16, 2025
TO: Mayor and Councilmembers
SUBMITTED BY: Robert Nisbet, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Blake Markum, Management Analyst
Shannon Kirn, Assistant to the City Manager
SUBJECT: Letters of Support for the Protect Patriot Parents Act RECOMMENDATION:
Authorize the transmission of letters of support for H.R. 3529, the Protect Patriot Parents Act, from the City Council to the Honorable Salud Carbajal, U.S. House of Representatives, the Honorable Jim Jordan, Chair of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee of the Judiciary, and the Honorable Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee of the Judiciary.
BACKGROUND:
Juana Flores is a Goleta resident who first came to the United States (U.S.) without a visa in 1988 at 25 years old to raise her family, including her son, who serves in the U.S. Air Force. Since that time, Ms. Flores received several extensions to stay on humanitarian grounds and has tried to obtain permission to stay in the U.S. but was ordered to be deported in 2019. Ms. Flores left voluntarily on her own to comply with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforce ment’s (ICE) order. On June 4, 2019, Judge Frank Ochoa , along with the family of Juana Flores, attended the City Council meeting and spoke under public comment about her case and her extensive Goleta/Santa Barbara -based U.S. family, including her U.S. citizen husband, ten (10) children, and fifteen (15) grandchildren at the time. At that meeting, then-Mayor Pro Tempore Richards and Councilmember Kyriaco requested that staff prepare a report and letters of support for Council consideration.
At the June 18, 2019, City Council meeting, the Council authorized letters of support for H.R.1871, the Protect Patriot Parents Act, and a letter requesting that ICE reconsider and vacate the removal and deportation order for Juana Flores and allow her to return home.
The Protect Patriot Parents Act (Act) was introduced by Representative Salud Carbajal, who represents California’s 24 th Congressional District, including Goleta. The Act would make parents of U.S. military servicemembers eligible for Lawful Permanent Resident status, preventing potential deportations or separations of military families. The Act did not pass the House Judiciary Committee stage, and Representative Carbajal has 1 Meeting Date: December 16, 2025
continued to reintroduce the Act for consideration. Most recently, Representative Carbajal reintroduced the Act as H.R. 3529 on May 21, 2025. The Act is currently referred to the House Judiciary Committee.
In 2021, Ms. Flores returned to Santa Barbara County and was granted humanitarian parole for three years. The application for an extens ion filed in 2024 was denied. Ms.
Flores was ordered to meet with immigration authorities for a check-in. On November 27, 2025 (Thanksgiving Day) after attending this check -in in Santa Maria , Ms. Flores was deported by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
At the December 2, 2025, City Council meeting, Councilmember Kyriaco requested concurrence to send additional letters in support of the Protect Patriot Parents Act and in support of other legislation undertaken by Represe ntative Carbajal regarding Juana Flores’ case. The Mayor Pro Temp Kasdin and Councilmember Reyes-Martín concurred with this request.
DISCUSSION:
This item gives the City Council an opportunity to authorize letters of support for H.R. 3529, the Protect Patriot Parents Act. See Attachment 1 for the Letters of Support.
FISCAL IMPACTS:
There is no direct fiscal impact associated with acting to authorize these letters other than staff time.
ALTERNATIVES:
The City Council may wish to make alterations to the letters before they are authorized or may choose not to authorize sending the letters at this time.
LEGAL REVIEW BY: Isaac Rosen, City Attorney
APPROVED BY: Robert Nisbet, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Letters of Support for the Protect Patriot Parents Act 2 ATTACHMENT 1
Letters of Support for the Protect Patriot Parents Act
3 CITY COUNCIL
Paula Perotte
Mayor
Stuart Kasdin
Mayor Pro Tempore
District 4
Luz Reyes -Martín
Councilmember
District 1
James Kyriaco
Councilmember
District 2
Jennifer Smith
Councilmember
District 3
CITY MANAGER
Robert Nisbet
December 16, 2025
The Honorable Salud Carbajal
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
RE: H.R. 3529 (Carbajal): Protect Patriot Parents Act: Support
Dear Representative Carbajal:
On behalf of the City of Goleta, I am writing in support of H.R. 3529, the Protect Patriot Parents Act.
Enclosed for your information are letters that we have sent to members of the Judiciary Committee urging support for H.R. 3529. This legislation is necessary to protect military families who are facing deportation by granting Lawful Permanent Resident status to parents of those who are serving or have served in the United States Armed Forces. In many communities across the nation , including the City of Goleta, we have seen the impacts of a broken immigration system which causes instability, chaos, and fear in the community . H.R. 3529 will support military families and recognize their sacrifice and i nvestment in our nation. By supp orting families, this will also support military readiness and the ability of service members to perform their duties effectively.
As stated when the City first supported the Protect Patriot Families Act in 2019, the City of Goleta supports comprehensive immigration reform.
This issue helps illustrate the need for legislative action. Recognizing the vulnerability of armed forces personnel would be a good start towards a comprehensive bill. Immigrants and their families, regardless of whether they are authorized or unauthorized to be in this country, contribute in numerous ways. This is especially true for those who serve and protect our nation in the military.
On behalf of the City, I also write to commend you for your ongoing efforts on behalf of Juana Flores, a long -time Go leta resident, mother of 10 children including Caesar Flores, a servicemember in the U.S. Air Force, and grandmother to 2 0. We support y our efforts to secure Ms. Flores’ return to the United States after her previous voluntary deportation in 2019 and your work with the Department of Homeland Security to secure 4 Ms. Flores humanitarian parole. On November 27, 2025, Ms. Flores was deported after her application for an extension of the humanitarian parole was denied and she complied with an order to check in with immigration authorities.
Please continue to work to enact comprehensive immigration reform and H.R. 3529 to protect military families. Please also continue to work on behalf of Juana Flores to secure her return home. Thank you for your continued advocacy in this matter and for introducing and sponsoring this Act.
Sincerely,
Paula Perotte
Mayor
cc: The Honorable Senator Alex Padilla
5 CITY COUNCIL
Paula Perotte
Mayor
Stuart Kasdin
Mayor Pro Tempore
District 4
Luz Reyes-Martín
Councilmember
District 1
James Kyriaco
Councilmember
District 2
Jennifer Smith
Councilmember
District 3
CITY MANAGER
Robert Nisbet
December 16, 2025
The Honorable Jim Jordan, Chair
Committee of the Judiciary
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
RE: H.R. 3529 (Carbajal): Protect Patriot Parents Act: Support
Dear Chair Jordan:
On behalf of the City of Goleta, I am writing in support of H.R. 3529, the Protect Patriot Parents Act.
Representative Carbajal introduced H.R. 3529 to protect military families who are facing deportation by granting Lawful Permanent Resident status to parents of those who are serving or have served in the United States Armed Forces. In many communities across the nation, including the City of Goleta, we have seen the impacts of a broken immigration system which causes instability, chaos, and fear in the community. H.R. 3529 will support military families and recognize their sacrifice and investment in our nation. By supporting families, this will also support military readiness and the ability of service members to perform th eir duties effectively.
As stated when the City first supported the Protect Patriot Families Act in 2019, the City of Goleta supports comprehensive immigration reform.
This issue helps illustrate the need for legislative action. Recognizing the vulnerability of armed forces personnel would be a good start towards a comprehensive bill. Immigrants and their families, regardless of whether they are authorized or unauthorized to be in this country, contribute in numerous ways. This is especially true for those who serve and protect our nation in the military.
6 The City of Goleta urges you to work to enact comprehensive immigration reform and consider support for H.R. 3529 to protect military families. Thank you for your consideration of this important matter.
Sincerely,
Paula Perotte
Mayor
cc: The Honorable Salud Carbajal
7 CITY COUNCIL
Paula Perotte
Mayor
Stuart Kasdin
Mayor Pro Tempore
District 4
Luz Reyes-Martín
Councilmember
District 1
James Kyriaco
Councilmember
District 2
Jennifer Smith
Councilmember
District 3
CITY MANAGER
Robert Nisbet
December 16, 2025
The Honorable Jamie Raskin
Ranking Member
Committee of the Judiciary
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
RE: H.R. 3529 (Carbajal): Protect Patriot Parents Act: Support
Dear Representative Raskin:
On behalf of the City of Goleta, I am writing in support of H.R. 3529, the Protect Patriot Parents Act.
Representative Carbajal introduced H.R. 3529 to protect military families who are facing deportation by granting Lawful Permanent Resident status to parents of those who are serving or have served in the United States Armed Forces. In many communities across the nation, including the City of Goleta, we have seen the impacts of a broken immigration system which causes instability, chaos, and fear in the community. H.R. 3529 will support military families and recognize their sacrifice and investment in our nation. By supporting families, this will also support military readiness and the ability of service members to perform their duties effectively.
As stated when the City first supported the Protect Patriot Families Act in 2019, the City of Goleta supports comprehensive immigration reform.
This issue helps illustrate the need for legislative action. Recognizing the vulnerability of armed forces personnel would be a good start towards a comprehensive bill. Immigrants and their families, regardless of whether they are authorized or unauthorized to be in this country, contribute in numerous ways. This is especially true for those who serve and protect our nation in the military.
8 The City of Goleta urges you to work to enact comprehensive immigration reform and consider support for H.R. 3529 to protect military families. Thank you for your consideration of this important matter.
Sincerely,
Paula Perotte
Mayor
cc: The Honorable Salud Carbajal
9