More on the Durham Human Rights and Bill of Rights Proclamations

Below is the Proclamation passed by the City Council on the 21st.  A similar "resolution" (the term preferred by the County Attorney) was passed by the County Commissioners on the 14th, 1-4, with Chairman Michael Page against.  Unlike in previous years, the resolution was not read aloud, and BORDC has yet to receive a copy of the official document. 

 

The Herald Sun reported on controversy at the meeting (see  http://www.heraldsun.com/pages/full_story/push?article-Bill+of+Rights+resolution+spurs+spat%20&id=5163081-Bill+of+Rights+resolution+spurs+spat&instance=homefirstleft).  According to the article, Page wanted to delay the vote until there is a resolution all parties can agree to.  Ellen Reckhow and Becky Heron said Durham is not trying to deport people, but if you run a red light in front of a police officer, you will be stopped.  I doubt the absence of racial profiling is that guaranteed, and hasa board overseeing the 287g program been established, as the program itself calls for in each participating county?  Anyone could be undocumented, but a rogue rightist police officer could harass Latinos more than other groups, in the hope of finding non-citizens as well as intimidating and driving off the rest of the immigrant community, documented or not.  At least profiling isn't the official policy in Durham, as it appears to be in some parts of the State, where law enforcement apparently has set up traffic stops around Catholic churches on Sundays.          

 

The City Council mostly agreed to the language requested by BORDC and DISC, but refused to say the Durham Police will accept Mexican Matricula Consular as identification, though apparently they already do accept it and these cards are reliable IDs.  They are issued by the Mexican government to their citizens living here and presumably in other countries.  In the fifth statement, Durham says it will not use 287g to deport people for minor things, and at the end the Proclamation says the police will use 287g "primarily" against felons, though the groups were requesting that 287g "exclusively" focus on felons. 

 

Human Rights and Bill of Rights Day Proclamation

December 21, 2009

Whereas, the City of Durham is home to a diverse population, including students, working people, and retirees, citizens and non-citizens, all of whom add to Durham's cultural richness and economic vitality; and

Whereas, the City of Durham is committed to the human rights of all of its residents, and to actions that both protect and preserve those rights; and

Whereas, the City of Durham respects and recognizes the civil rights and liberties guaranteed to all by the Bill of Rights; and

Whereas, on October 20, 2003, the City of Durham adopted both the Bill of Rights Defense Resolution and Resolution #9046: Supporting the Rights of Persons Regardless of Immigration Status; and

Whereas, the City of Durham has for the past six years endorsed a policy whereby an individual's civil immigration status shall not be inquired about unless that individual is being investigated for suspected involvement in serious criminal activity; and

Whereas, it is the policy of the Durham Police Department to endeavor to assure that an immigrant driver is no more likely to be arrested during a traffic stop than any other driver stopped for a similar cause; and

Whereas, the City of Durham recognizes the importance of maintaining a climate of acceptance and solidarity, thereby decreasing fear and promoting the cooperation of all residents with law enforcement;

Now, therefore I, William V. "Bill" Bell, the Mayor of the City of Durham, North Carolina do hereby proclaim December 22, 2009 as "Bill of Rights Day" in Durham, and hereby urge all the citizens of the City of Durham to hereby reaffirm their support of the Bill of Rights and of the civil rights and liberties it guarantees to all residents of Durham, and pledge to continue our City's policy of non-discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, race, national origin, and immigration status, and continue to pledge that Durham's 287(g) participation will continue to focus on primarily on felony investigations.

Witness my hand and the corporate seal of the City of Durham, North Carolina, the 21st day of December, 2009.

William V. "Bill" Bell

Mayor