Talking points for It Won't Happen Here This is a long explanation of the issues surrounding It Won't Happen Here. Please select the one(s) that appeal to you and contact your supervisor - Zane, Hopkins, Gorin, Rabbitt or Gore. They will claim they have done what they need to do. They have not. Statement of Conscience: At its most basic, the It Won't Happen Here statement is a statement of conscience. Most cities* and the county have said, through their various resolutions, that they support all the residents in their jurisdictions. This support is found in the “Whereas” sections of their resolutions. This is a good start, but it provides no protections for those residents. What matters are the actions those jurisdictions will actively take to protect their residents. These actions are found in the “Therefore” sections of their resolutions. In most resolutions these actions are few and mostly symbolic. They will “speak out” against the bully down the street, but will do nothing to resist the bullies in Washington, D.C. SB54 Does Not Protect Most Residents: Some jurisdictions (the Board of Supervisors) are hoping that the passage of California Senate Bill 54 will save them from having to take a truly active stand in favor of undocumented residents. But SB54 only addresses the issue of undocumented residents and has no relevance to other threatened communities – LBGTQ+AI, people of color, followers of certain religions, etc. While the undocumented have been the most aggressively targeted to date, the “Muslim Ban,” hate rhetoric coming from the Trump administration and hate crimes in our communities show that many other groups are being targeted. Therefore, relying on SB54 is passing the buck. County Solutions Slow To Come: The County has said that it is “developing solutions to ensure respect for the rights of all residents and to take actions to ensure the family unity, community security, dignity and due process for all residents of Sonoma County..” While that development is happening – nothing has been presented so far to protect targeted ommunities – the County should pledge that it will not cooperate with the Trump administration or Congress if they move to infringe on residents' human rights. Additional Solutions Will Be Slow – Too Little, Too Late: The City of Santa Rosa, through comments by Councilman Ernesto Olivares, has said it will react to threats as they come along. This could well be too little, too late – requiring multiple Council meetings and considerable time wasted. A proactive stand – particularly when joined with other cities, counties and the state – sends a message to Washington, D.C. and inspiration to those struggling in more repressive states. Supervisors Can't Rely on Other Institutions: Because they are clearly not willing to stick their necks out in your defense, they are hoping that members of other governmental institutions (legislatures, courts, agencies) will do it for them. The evidence is obvious at this point that the Trump administration is dismantling as many of our institutions as possible. Relying on them is a mistake. Congress has shown itself willing to prevent appointment of Democratic judges and to eliminate nominating procedures that have been in place for more than 200 years. We should, of course, work with institutions while they exist, but the courts will be moving further to the right as more Trump judges are appointed. Give Them an Example and Ask for Their Solution: Ask your supervisor this (or come up with your own scenario). If the Trump administration declares that the LGBTQ+AI community is a threat to national security (there is a long history of this), therefore due process and privacy protections for them are waived, and the federal government tells the County it must release the names of all County employees who are from that community, as well as everyone in that community who has received services in a county program, what will your supervisors do? Comply or refuse? If it's refuse, then they should state it now. There must be upfront resistance. By the way, this question was asked during the discussion of the county's resolution. Not one supervisor responded. The County Jail Is Ground Zero: Your city may pass a resolution which declares that your police department will not cooperate with ICE, but everyone who ends up in jail is sent to the County Jail. Once that happens, they are in the clutches of the Sheriff's Office and all bets are off. Your city loses all control of jailed residents. What About The Money?: Trump has threatened to cut off some funding if cities, counties or states refuse to cooperate. This is a serious issue, but so is the threat to residents of this county. We can't exchange people's lives for money. That will be an escalating game. Trump and Sessions are relying on a policy which says that municipalities would not receive grant money for lack of compliance with a federal law that says state and local governments may not prohibit workers from sharing information about a peron's immigration status with federal immigration officials. By the way, it needs to be acknowledged that the rule being cited by Trump and Sessions was instituted by Obama less than a year ago, but never implemented, possibly because of lack of time. The Obama administration was quite aggressive about deportations. One City Has Passed an It Won't Happen Here Resolution – It Can Be Done: Petaluma has passed an excellent resolution which states that the city will not cooperate with the federal government if it violates civil liberties. "The City of Petaluma will refuse to cooperate with any demands from the federal government to institute detentions, deportations, registries, conversion therapies, imprisonment or any other acts that target or discriminate against Petaluma community members or others based on immigration status, race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, disability, political affiliation, economic status, age, gender identity or sexual orientation, or other characteristics protected by California and federal anti-discrimination statutes and the United States and California Constitutions." If Petaluma can do it, so can other jurisdictions. Some Resolutions Are Worse Than Nothing: Windsor has passed a resolution which is designed to make it easier for ICE to get its hands on undocumented residents. Windsor police will cooperate with ICE without the need for a warrant or any conviction. "In order to deter and apprehend violent criminals and keep the community safe, the Town Council endorses the Windsor Police Department’s policy to work cooperatively with ICE or other Federal agencies in instances which involve the apprehension of serious or violent criminals, as the Windsor Police Department conditions this collaboration on ICE refraining from arresting or taking custody of any person based solely on immigration status." Learn to read these resolutions and understand their nuances and what they fail to do, as well as what they do. Remember, it's all in the “therefore's.” Petaluma will only cooperate if the person has been convicted and the crimes are specifically stated. Windsor is much more loosy-goosy. Failure To Alert Undocumented People That They Are Not Safe: In all the celebration around the passing of these various resolutions, little mention is made of the fact that local law enforcement cannot keep ICE out of our cities and counties. And with the sheriff's current policy, they can't keep ICE from apprehending people when they are released from jail – guilty or innocent. It is hoped that people are more aware of their precarious situation than council members and supervisors appear to be. ICE is currently understaffed and that is the major protection. And if you're just getting your information from the Press Democrat, you'll know they have stated that the resolutions are similar. They are not. It's important to know your own municipality's resolution and what it really means. The Bottom Line Is That No One Is Safe: Actually, even the passage of a true It Won't Happen Here resolution is no guarantee of safety from the Trump administration. If the U.S.military is used to enforce a new law – this has been done in the past – there is little our county and city governments can do to resist that. But statements and acts of solidarity, support and resistance can make a difference. Ask your supervisor whether he/she wants to stand on the right or wrong side of history. Does it take courage? Yes, it does and it is what we expect and we will be there right beside them. Elected representatives have repeatedly stated that they have been surprised at how swiftly the Trump administration has acted. Whatever comes net could come quickly, too. Wouldn't it be best to be ahead of the eight-ball instead of behind it? If you contact your supervisor and you get back an answer which claims they've done all they can, please get in touch with us and we can go over it together and get to the truth. Please contact your supervisor and let us know when you do. We can't stand against this injustice one by one. The chaos in Washington, D.C. is not reassuring and we need to create a united ,local front of resistance! Thank you! And please put the Board of Supervisors' meeting on Tuesday, May 9th 2:00 p.m. on your calendar. We need you! Details later! *So far, Cloverdale, Rohnert Park and Cotati have taken no stand.