Other Legislation

San Francisco Sanctuary Ordinance

In 1989, San Francisco passed the "City and County of Refuge" Ordinance (also known as the Sanctuary Ordinance) which prohibits City employees from helping Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with immigration investigations or arrests unless such help is required by federal or state law or a warrant. The Ordinance is rooted in the Sanctuary Movement of the 1980's, when churches across the country provided refuge to Central Americans fleeing civil wars in their countries. In providing such assistance, faith communities were responding to the difficulties immigrants faced in obtaining refugee status from the U.S. government. Municipalities across the country followed suit by adopting sanctuary ordinances.

In recent years, the Sanctuary Movement has experienced a rebirth, as grassroots organizations, faith communities, and local government have stood firmly against repressive immigration proposals in Congress and immigration raids that separate families. In February 2007, Mayor Gavin Newsom reaffirmed San Francisco's commitment to immigrant communities by issuing an Executive Order that called on City departments to develop protocol and training on the Sanctuary Ordinance.

For more information on the Sanctuary Ordinance, please visit the City and County of San Francisco website.

TRUST Act

The California TRUST Act (AB 4) was passed to help protect undocumented Californians from being held in jail for additional time solely for deportation purposes. The act sets a minimum standard across the state to limit cruel and costly immigration hold requests in local jails — holds that are often caused by the Secure Communities deportation program.

This law ensures that people who are arrested for low-level, non-violent crimes are not held for deportation, while still allowing holds for more serious convictions such as felonies or high-level misdemeanors.

For more information about this law, visit the California TRUST Act