Council votes against resolution making Yakima a ‘welcoming city’

YAKIMA – Culminating often emotional testimony by dozens of residents, a deeply divided Yakima City Council voted 4-3 against a resolution declaring Yakima a “welcoming city.”

Debate over the resolution, a watered-down version of what started out last week as a measure to declare Yakima a sanctuary city and re-enforce an unwritten policy in which police don’t inquire about a person’s immigration status, attracted a packed council chamber of nearly 150 people who braved icy roads to listen and offer support or opposition to the measure.

Voting for the measure were council members Avina Gutierrez, Dulce Gutierrez and Carmen Mendez. Those against the measure were Bill Lover, Kathy Coffey, Maureen Adkison and Holly Cousens.

The measure voted on Tuesday night stated the city was committed to protecting and serving everyone in Yakima without discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, immigration status and a number of other factors.

But unlike the proposal raised last week, the measure did not contain a reassurance that local law enforcement and city employees will not ask residents about their immigration status.

Councilwoman Avina Gutierrez expressed her displeasure with the vote.

“A vote against this is a vote affirming today’s ignorance, bias and fears based on discrimination and racism. The resolution doesn’t suggest that we change any laws, it’s not costing us anything, it’s just making a statement that we are inclusive and welcoming to the people that are here and for the visitors that will come who know at the baseball game they’re at they won’t be glared at or jeered at or told go back to your country.”

Coffey voted against the measure, saying the resolution was doing more harm than good because it stirred the pot in what she called a giving and loving community. The current police policy of not asking individuals their immigration status has been working well without the divisiveness and negative stereotypes raised during the debate, she said.

The vote came after more than an hour of public testimony for and against the measure.

“Love thy neighbor as yourself. It does not say love thy neighbor, only legal neighbors,” said resident and community activist Susan Soto-Palmer.

Other residents stuck strictly to the need for the council to follow the Constitution.

“It’s an insult to the community’s integrity, our rule of law and law abiding residents and legal citizens” to pass such a resolution, resident Nick Hughes said while addressing the council.

The council did vote to send the proposal back to committee for further study.