From: Jeff Rooney
To: CityCouncilListPublic; [email protected]
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Regarding Sanctuary Ordinance Efforts locally / Taking inspiration from other front line "Blue State" cities
Date: Wednesday, February 4, 2026 9:33:24 AM
Good Morning City Council Members and BOS Members,
I am a Santa Rosa resident of 15 years having moved to the area from San Antonio Tx in 2011. Way back then my wife Dianne and I could see the writing on the wall of what was transpiring in Texas and decided to make Sonoma County our home. We have never looked back. We love it here.
However, my wife Dianne and I have lived in two majority minority cities - first Atlanta GA for 14 years and then San Antonio for about the same length of time - Atlanta (we lived in the city not the suburbs), majority Black and then San Antonio, majority Brown. In these places we loved the relative ease of cross racial interaction that tends to enable deeper human connection that create bonds and friendships that might not occur otherwise.
One sense of dismay we had upon moving here is an awareness of entrenched segregation generally between white people and the more than 30% people of color. I believe this contextualizes some things that show up in local governance at this critical time in this country where we are facing the 5 alarm fire of fascist measures we are now being subjected to via the Trump regime. This is a very scary time for the most vulnerable in our area and across the land as I think you all know. I have been involved in two specific concerns in the past couple of years - one is the tragedy of the genocide in Gaza and the anti-ICE movement. Those of us in the community already aware of US/Israeli dynamics were much quicker to see the onset of the genocide and then tried to get our governing bodies such as yourselves to see it as such and to try to put the brakes on US complicity. Likewise, those of us closer to the ground in the anti-ICE movement have tried to spur on our local leaders to accept the most forceful efforts to reassure our most vulnerable residents that we all
have their back. You all know the voices of the local Sonoma County Sanctuary Coalition and what they have advocated at local governance (see their petition). We know it has often been an intense back and forth.
Both the city council and BOS continue to wrestle with this urgent issue of preparing our areas for any ICE incursion that is likely coming. The very fact that attorneys generals in many blue states are banding together to more comprehensively take the most strident measures against these fascist moves from the federal government reflect the gravity of our situation and the need to learn from the front line areas on how they are responding.
I am sharing three links from the Democracy Now program yesterday that featured these kinds of ways city leaders in three cities are responding - Chicago, Philadelphia, and Portland Maine. I sincerely think weighing our local response to what these cities are doing would be very instructive on your own deliberations at this time (and also represent better the local target populations). It is far better to be prepared than flat footed when ICE comes to our door! As you will see the felt needs of those targeted have been made front and center of the civic leaders. And I know from following these things closely is that there has been back and forth between the mass struggle and the civic leaders to come to the most advanced ordinances on behalf of the targets peoples.
Chicago
https://www.democracynow.org/2026/2/3/chicago_brandon_johnson
Philadelphia
https://www.democracynow.org/2026/2/3/philadelphia_city_council_ice_out Portland Maine
https://www.democracynow.org/2026/2/3/portland_maine_city_council_ice_lawsuits The last thing I will share is that right now the pressure from places that have already confronted these fascist measures is prompting the ideas of "reforming ICE" like getting body cams and such. I think you will see that these cities are leaning more toward the demand "Abolish ICE". Attempting to appease fascism has historically not worked out well. I believe that if we take the most advanced lessons from the front line areas we will be ahead of the curve and become a more more integrated community prepared to fight what comes.
Thank you for taking time to read this message and I hope it can foster some more wrangling on these issues for the betterment of those most terrified by all this madness! Now is the time to be fully prepared. I believe we are likely to see things in these next years we never thought we would have to confront in the US and beyond. Doing the right thing is never easy but necessity calls us all to be our strongest selves.
Jeff Rooney
--
“Roots tell us
through the flowers,
what the Earth is like on the inside…..”
Humberto Ak’abal
From: Noa Lewin
To: City Council Public Comments
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Noa Lewin, 2/10/2026, Agenda Study Session Item 4.1 Date: Monday, February 9, 2026 3:03:41 PM
Good afternoon Santa Rosa City Council,
I am writing to voice a concern about study session item 4.1, FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT PRACTICES AND POTENTIAL LOCAL PUBLIC SAFETY IMPACTS.
First of all, I am grateful that the Council is taking the safety of immigrant communities of Santa Rosa seriously. My concern, however, is that ability of the city to actually keep immigrants safe when the Santa Rosa Police Department has a contract with Flock, an ALPR company that may very well put the safety of immigrants in our city at risk.
Although Flock is purported to be a company with secure data storage practices, a 404 Media investigation found at least 60 of their security cameras have been leaked on the internet for anyone to access. According to SFist, a San Francisco-based news company, these leaked livestreams even included footage of playgrounds with children playing.
Flocksafety.com claims that Flock does not share data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), but it does note that the amount of data Flock can share with ICE or any third party depends on the contract it has with the company or governing body using its products. So much of Sonoma County has prospered thanks to immigrant communities and families looking for a better life – do you really want to put them at risk? Flock has also identified people who have traveled to receive abortion services. This past year, Flock cameras used in Washington were accessed by a Texas-based police department to track someone who traveled for abortion care. Clearly, there are not enough measures in place to not only protect the privacy of children playing on a playground, but also people looking for safety, a better life, and those who are exercising their right to receive appropriate healthcare.
I ask that you please use this study session and future ones to investigate further into the data practices of Flock, what its contract with SRPD allows in terms of data sharing and collaboration with ICE, and what alternative safety mechanisms can be used that won’t risk the safety and privacy of all people in Santa Rosa.
Thank you,
Noa Lewin
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Noa Lewin
From: Allegra Wilson
To: City Council Public Comments
Subject: [EXTERNAL] 4.1 FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT PRACTICES AND POTENTIAL LOCAL PUBLIC SAFETY
IMPACTS
Date: Monday, February 9, 2026 7:59:42 AM
I am writing to support the following proposals for the City of Santa Rosa to keep our residents safe and to stop ICE in Santa Rosa:
Pass a non-collaboration ordinance for the City of Santa Rosa.
Train all City employees on their rights during interactions with ICE.
PROHIBIT any City employee from sharing information with ICE.
PROHIBIT ICE from access to City property unless they have a judicial warrant.
STOP the use of any City property or resources by immigration enforcement.
Thank you,
Allegra Wilson