Dear Mayor Patino and City Council Members,
I would suggest the Council not appoint an Immigration Ad Hoc Committee at this time. Appointing such a committee now would not be timely or useful.
There have been no ICE raids inside or close to the city of Santa Maria, and any committee discussions on the matter would therefore be speculative and not attuned to the reality of the targeting, scope, nature, and results of an actual raid in our city.
Furthermore, actions by the city concerning immigration or ICE raids are constrained already because they are subject both to state law and federal law. A committee dealing at this time with unknowns concerning immigration and ICE could generate speculation, false expectations, and unfounded fear; therefore, such an ad hoc committee should not be appointed at this time.
Yours sincerely,
Hunter T. Jameson
Santa Maria, California