Protecting Austin Residents' Civil Rights: Our Memo to City Manager Broadnax

[Vanessa Fuentes]

Colleagues,

After hosting a community conversation with APD Chief Davis about Federal Immigration enforcement activities, as well as several local stakeholder meetings and one-on-one conversations with residents, the message from our community is clear: Austinites expect their local officials to stand up for them against any threat to their personal safety and civil rights.

To that end, I, along with my colleagues Mayor Pro Tem Vela and Councilmembers Velasquez, Alter and Qadri, have sent a memo to City Manager Broadnax with several requests that we believe will further protect Austin residents from abuses on physical safety and civil rights and will ensure accountability for all who perpetrate such abuses.

The memo includes direction to:
- Defend the First Amendment by ensuring de-escalation protocols, protect peaceful protestors, including in situations involving federal presence or provocation;
- Defend the Fourth Amendment by quickly and decisively responding to reports of warrantless searches or unlawful entry;
- Ensure accountability by reporting and documenting violence or unlawful conduct by federal agents;
- End secret policing by prohibiting all law enforcement from wearing face coverings while exercising police powers, and;
- Empower the public through expanded education of rights and access to legal representation.

As current events regarding federal immigration enforcement activities in our region continues to change, we are committed to prioritizing the public safety and civil rights of all Austinites, and, to the best we are able, ensure that the City of Austin is a trusted institution for all who reside here. I welcome other colleagues to support the direction of this memo and look forward to continuing to work with our City administration to see these commitments through.

Memo: http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 110813.pdf


In community,

Vanessa Fuentes, Council Member District 2
José Velasquez, Austin City Council, District 3
José “Chito” Vela, Mayor Pro Tem, Austin City Council, District 4
Ryan Alter, Austin City Council, District 5
Zohaib Qadri, Austin City Council, District 9