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ADOPT A RESOLUTION DECLARING STOCKTON A COMPASSIONATE CITY
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RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt a resolution:
1. Declaring Stockton a Compassionate City; and
2. Authorizing the City Manager to take whatever actions are necessary and appropriate to carry out the purpose and intent of this Resolution.
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Summary
At the September 15, 2025 meeting of the Council Legislative/Environmental Committee, City staff provided a presentation on the compassionate city designation. Following discussion, committee members requested a presentation to the Council for discussion and recommended approval of the proposed resolution declaring Stockton a Compassionate City.
DISCUSSION
Background
On February 21, 2017, the Stockton City Council approved Resolution 2017-02-21-1503 (Attachment A), reaffirming Stockton’s commitment to the support of human rights, inclusiveness, environmental protection, affordable healthcare, religious freedom, and respect. Although the approved Resolution in 2017 did not formally declare Stockton to be a Sanctuary City, it laid the foundation for support of human rights, including immigrant rights, through symbolic affirmations, such as:
• We are committed to serving the entire community and recognizing the dignity of all persons, regardless of their immigration status.
• We are committed to promoting the utilization of City services by all residents and visitors to Stockton who are in need of them, including immigrants. All individuals should know they can seek and obtain assistance of City Departments including the Police Department regardless of their personal status.
• The Stockton Police Department will treat all individuals fairly and in a manner consistent with the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California.
• We will work collaboratively with our elected officials and city leadership to create a safe, welcoming, equitable and inclusive city for everyone.
On October 5, 2017, Governor Jerry Brown signed California Senate Bill 54 (“SB 54”) (Attachment B) into law. Known as the California Values Act, SB 54 was designed to shield undocumented immigrants from the harsh tactics often used by federal immigration agencies such as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol. The bill states that local authorities will not ask about immigration status during routine interactions. Additional provisions forbid state and local offices from holding illegal immigrants until they can be transferred into federal custody, and prohibit federal agencies from commandeering local authorities to work with immigration agencies and conduct the work of immigration agents.
Within his signing message, Governor Brown asserted that SB 54 would enshrine new protections, while striking a balance to protect public safety and bring a measure of comfort to those families living in fear every day. The bill underscores California’s commitment to being a sanctuary state, promoting inclusivity and protection for all individuals, regardless of their immigration status.
Following the passage of SB 54, many cities and counties took action by passing their own resolutions, explicitly supporting and building upon the established protections of the California Values Act. Among the California cities which reaffirmed their commitment to the law are Sacramento, Los Angeles and Union City, CA.
City of Union City
The City of Union City adopted the status of a Compassionate City. Neither California nor federal law provides a formal, universal legal definition of “sanctuary cities” or “compassionate cities”. Instead, the terms are used to describe a range of state and local policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement authorities. A compassionate city immigration policy is a local government’s commitment to treat all residents equally, provide access to city services regardless of immigration status, and refrain from assisting federal immigration enforcement. Such cities do not independently enforce federal civil immigration laws, do not ask about immigration status for services, and do not hold individuals for civil immigration reasons without a judicial warrant or probable cause. Such policies aim to foster trust and engagement with the city, encourage crime reporting and protect the community from the fear of discrimination.
In 2017, Mayor Carol Dutra-Vernaci affirmed that, “although Union City has always embraced principles that encompass safety, tolerance and compassion for all of its diverse community, it was time to put these values in writing to give people a greater sense of security.” Union City’s Human Relations Commission (HRC) spent time reviewing current city policies and researching local information, and also led discussions with people from all walks of life and service providers. At the conclusion of their outreach, the HRC made a recommendation to City Council that becoming a Compassionate City was in the best interest of residents and would demonstrate that Union City is committed to being free of prejudice and discrimination.
In May 2017, its City Council designated Union City as a Compassionate City (Attachment C). The Union City community shares a commitment to its identified core values of safety, tolerance and caring. The Compassionate City resolution builds on existing policies to clearly articulate Union City’s position related to federal immigration policy, and upholds that the City has no legal authority to partner with federal authorities to enforce civil immigration law.
Present Situation
At the August 25, 2025 meeting of the Council Legislation/Environmental Committee (“Committee”), Chair Mario Enríquez introduced the topic of immigration/SB54 compliance and requested that City staff research sanctuary cities and compassionate cities. A follow-up staff report was agendized for the September 15, 2025 meeting of the Committee, at which time City staff presented an overview and distinctions between a sanctuary city and a compassionate city. Following discussion, Committee members directed staff to bring forward the discussion and a draft resolution to an upcoming Council meeting.
On November 25, 2025, Councilmember Enríquez hosted a Community Conversation on Immigration at The Catalyst Art and Yoga Studio in Stockton. Approximately 40 individuals attended the event, including representatives from groups such as Valley Watch Network and California Rapid Response Network. Surrounding the dialogue on topics and available resources, attendees expressed concerns about recent ICE actions at an ICE facility in Stockton and their hope for transparency related to Stockton Police Department’s role with ICE.
The Stockton Police Department (SPD) is committed to building trust, keeping our communities safe, and complying with state laws (Attachment D). Senate Bill 54 prohibits SPD officers from investigating, detaining, or arresting people solely based on their immigration status. SPD officers do not ask about immigration status, do not participate in immigration enforcement task forces, and do not assist with immigration arrests. Stockton Police Department Policy 414 - Immigration Violations (Attachment E) outlines SPD officer requirements related to undocumented individuals.
Compassionate City immigration policy allows local law enforcement to prioritize local criminal matters and allocate resources according to community needs, rather than acting as de facto federal immigration agents. Increased crime reporting by immigrants (as victims or witnesses) aids police in investigating criminal activity, which in turn contributes to improvement in overall community safety.
Compassionate city immigration policies offer economic, public safety and social benefits by limiting local involvement with federal immigration enforcement. Cities with compassionate city immigration policy cite positive outcomes such as protecting vulnerable people and enabling equal access to services without fear, as well as strengthening the local economy through higher labor-force participation rates, preventing family separation and promoting family unity.
The proposed Compassionate City Resolution affirms that:
• The City of Stockton declares itself a compassionate city.
• The City shall not engage in activities solely for the purpose of enforcing federal immigration law.
• Unless immigration status is relevant to another criminal offense or investigation, suspicion or knowledge of an undocumented alien shall not be the sole basis for contact, detention, or arrest.
• No City employee shall ask for or use knowledge of an individual’s immigration status as a basis for providing services, unless it is material to the service being sought (i.e. immigration services).
• City resources shall not be used to create, assist in creating, or maintain a registry based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, national origin or immigration status, for the purpose of reporting any immigration-related data to federal law enforcement.
The City of Stockton encourages residents to freely engage with City staff, freely access City services, and be free of fear in reporting crime, regardless of immigration status.
In conclusion, it is recommended that the City Council adopt the proposed resolution formally declaring Stockton a Compassionate City.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
There is no financial impact associated with adoption of this resolution declaring Stockton a Compassionate City.
Attachment A - Resolution No. 2017-02-21-1503
Attachment B - Senate Bill 54 - California Values Act
Attachment C - Union City - Compassionate City Status
Attachment D - SPD Immigration Overview
Attachment E - SPD Policy 414-Immigration Violations