* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:04] COUNCILMAN [5:00 P.M. - INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] POLLARD FOR THE INVOCATION. THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND GOOD AFTERNOON TO EVERYONE. IF YOU'LL PLEASE BOW YOUR HEAD FOR A WORD OF PRAYER. LORD, THANK YOU FOR WAKING US UP TO SEE ANOTHER DAY. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING US HERE SAFELY. UH, PLEASE WATCH OVER US. AS WE CONVENE THIS MEETING. PLEASE WATCH OVER OUR CITY AND ITS RESIDENTS. UH, HAVE US DO EVERYTHING IN YOUR GLORY. IN JESUS NAME I PRAY. AMEN. THANK YOU. PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO REPUBLIC FOR WHICH STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR. THANK YOU, MA'AM. MR. SECRETARY, [ROLL CALL AND ADOPT MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING] YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLE MAYOR MEYER. PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER BECK HERE, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ. COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER WILL BE ABSENT. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS WILL BE ABSENT. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTEX TATUM. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS PRESENT AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN HERE NEED A MOTION TO ADOPT THE MINUTES OF MARCH 24TH AND 25TH. CASTEX T MOVE. SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. MR. CASTILLO FOR THE PROCEDURAL COUNCIL [PUBLIC SPEAKERS] MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU MAYOR. I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD GLORIA FLORES DE GUDO AND JARED, DEBRA TO THE BOTTOM OF THE ONE MINUTE NON AGENDA LIST. MOTION MADE AND SECONDED. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ANYONE ELSE? NO SIR. THAT'S ALL MEMBERS. WE HAVE A VERY LONG LIST OF SPEAKERS SIGNED UP TODAY BECAUSE WE HAVE 150 MINUTES WORTH OF SPEAKERS. THE RULES REQUIRE US TO ONLY GIVE EACH GUEST ONLY ONE MINUTE, EVEN IF YOU SIGNED UP FOR MORE. SO WELCOME EVERYONE. WE HOPE YOU'LL ABIDE BY THAT RULE SO WE CAN HAVE A, UH, SUCCESSFUL EVENING. WITH THAT, UH, MS. SECRETARY, OUR FIRST SPEAKER? YES SIR. ANDREA GUERRERO. ANDREA GU GUERRERO, KATHY FLETCHER TO BE FOLLOWED BY AMER PAQUETTE, EITHER ONE. HI, UH, MY NAME IS KATHY FLETCHER AND I'M A PROUD HOUSTONIAN FROM DISTRICT C. I'M HERE TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS FOR INTRODUCING THE PROPOSAL TO IMPROVE HOW OUR POLICE INTERACT WITH ICE AND COUNCIL MEMBERS CAME IN AND POLLED FOR THEIR SUPPORT. YOUR LEADERSHIP REFLECTS WHAT HOUSTON STANDS FOR. A CITY THAT WELCOMES PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD THAT WORK HARD, ENRICH OUR CULTURE, RAISE FAMILIES, AND PUT DOWN ROOTS HERE. HOUSTON IS ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE AND DYNAMIC CITIES IN AMERICA, AND THAT IS OUR STRENGTH. BUT DUE TO MAGA AND ICE OVERREACH, ONE IN SEVEN, HOUSTONIANS NOW KNOW SOMEONE DETAINED OR DEPORTED. NEARLY 4,000 IMMIGRANT CHILDREN HAVE STOPPED COMING TO SCHOOL OUT OF FEAR, MAGA AND ICE ARE NOT ON HOUSTON'S SIDE. THEIR ACTIONS ARE DAMAGING OUR SCHOOLS, OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, AND OUR ECONOMY, AND WASTING THE TIME OF OUR OFFICERS TO SERVE THEIR POLITICAL AGENDA. THIS ORDINANCE IS COMMON SENSE. I URGE EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER TO VOTE YES AND TO KEEP PUSHING FOR EVEN STRONGER PROPOSALS SO EVERY HOUSTON FAMILY CAN LIVE HERE WITHOUT FEAR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT AMER PAQUETTE. AMER PAQUETTE, NO. HALEY ROGERS, PATRICIA CHIN TO BE FOLLOWED BY PHILIPPE DIAZ. UH, MAYOR WHITMEYER HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, MY NAME IS PATRICIA. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT COMMUNITY SAFETY AND WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO DO IS START WITH SOME SHARED VALUES OR A PROBLEM THAT WE CAN ALL AGREE UPON. HOWEVER, MY FELLOW HOUSTONIANS HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR QUITE SOME TIME WITH VERY LITTLE MOVEMENT ON THE PART OF THE COUNCIL, SO I'M GONNA TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT. MAYBE THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT YOU CARE MORE ABOUT. UM, HPD IS LICKING ICE'S BALLS. THEY'RE ACTING LIKE LAP DOGS IN SERVICE OF ICE OVER THEIR FELLOW HOUSTONIANS. SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO ASK IS FOR THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO PLEASE PUT [00:05:01] BACK A KEY PROVISION THAT I UNDERSTAND WAS TAKEN OUTTA SALINAS'S PROPOSITION. THIS KEY PROVISION WOULD'VE ALLOWED HP TO HAVE SOME MORE DISCRETION WHEN THEY'RE AT TRAFFIC STOPS, PARTICULARLY FOR MEMBERS WHO, UM, PARTICULARLY FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE ADMINISTRATIVE WARRANTS. SO PUT BACK THAT KEY PROVISION. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT. AND THEN ONCE THE ORIGINAL PROVISION IS BACK, OR ONCE THE ORIGINAL, UH, PROPOSITION IS BACK WHERE IT SHOULD BE, THEN I WOULD ASK THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO BRING IT FORWARD TO VOTE. AND EVERYBODY SHOULD VOTE YES, ESPECIALLY, UH, MR. CASTILLO, SINCE YOU'RE MY COUNCIL MEMBER. OKAY, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT DIAZ TO BE FOLLOWED BY KYLE ROGERS COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'M ONE OF YOUR MIDTOWN CONSTITUENTS AND I'M HERE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE PROP A ORDINANCE REGARDING COOPERATION BETWEEN HPD AND ICE. IT'S A GREAT FIRST STEP, HOWEVER, ALLOWING HPD TO DETAIN PEOPLE FOR MORE THAN 30 MINUTES BEYOND THEIR ORIGINAL TRAFFIC STOP WHILE THEY'RE WAITING FOR ICE TO ARRIVE IS A VIOLATION OF THE FOURTH AMENDMENT AS ESTABLISHED IN THE 2015 SUPREME COURT CASE RODRIGUEZ VUS. AND IN CASES WHERE ICE DOESN'T SHOW UP, HPD MEMBERS SHOULD NOT BE COMPELLED TO SHARE THAT PERSON'S NAME AND ADDRESS. BACK TO ICE EXECUTIVE. ICE WARRANTS ARE CIVIL MATTERS AND LIE OUTSIDE OF HPDS JURISDICTION. THERE ARE NO GROUNDS FOR THIS KIND OF COOPERATION. OUR CITY'S POLICE FORCE ARE SICKING ICE AGENTS ON COMMUNITY MEMBERS, MOST OF WHOM ARE REGULAR TAXPAYERS AND WITHOUT ANY KIND OF CRIMINAL HISTORY. THIS IS NOT MY IDEA OF SAFETY AND SOMETHING TELLS ME IT'S NOT YOURS EITHER. I URGE YOU TO CHANGE THE ORDINANCE TO REMEDY THESE POINTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR SALINAS. UH, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE SPEAKERS THAT ARE HERE. I JUST WANNA OFFER SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT WHERE THE PROPO, THE ORDINANCE STANDS TODAY. UH, SO THE TWO REMAINING PROVISIONS THAT WERE DEEMED LAWFUL HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE AGENDA, AND THEY WILL BE VOTED ON NEXT WEDNESDAY. UM, SO PLEASE KNOW OUR FOCUS IS TO TRY TO PASS THESE TWO ITEMS FIRST, AND THEN WE WILL WORK TOGETHER WITH COMMUNITY TO ADDRESS THE ADDITIONAL PROVISION THAT IS DEEMED UNLAWFUL. BUT MY HOPE IS WE CAN FOCUS ON THE, THE TWO PROVISIONS THAT HAVE BEEN PASSED, APPROVED FOR LAWFULNESS, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE THE FIGHT ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE WARRANTS PIECE. BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING TO SPEAK. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. THIS IS DEMOCRACY AT WORK AND IT'S AMAZING. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, KYLE. KYLE ROGERS, HADLEY HOLLINGSWORTH. IS IT? NO, ANNA STONE TO BE FOLLOWED BY CLARK FOSTER. HI, MY NAME'S AJ. I AM EIGHT YEARS OLD, SO THE PROBLEM WITH ICE IS THAT I'M SCARED TO GO OUTTA MY HOUSE. LIKE ICE IS EVERYWHERE, LIKE ALL AROUND HOUSTON, LIKE I'M SCARED. HOW DOES IT FEEL WHEN YOU GUYS ARE TRYING TO, LIKE, IF SOMEBODY IS BLACK RIGHT, AND ISIS FOLLOWING THEM LIKE THAT ALL OVER THE CITY, RIGHT? SO I'M SCARED TO GO OUT MY HOUSE ON THE STREETS BECAUSE I'M WORRIED THAT I MIGHT BE CAPTURED. I SEPARATED FROM MY FAMILY. THANK YOU. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. HI, MY NAME IS ANNA AND THIS IS MY SON AJ. UM, WE HAVE HAD CURRENTLY NO NEGATIVE INTERACTIONS WITH ICE OR POLICE, BUT THIS FEAR IS VERY REAL AND IT'S NOT SOMETHING I CAN JUST SAY. DON'T WORRY, POLICE ARE SAFE. WE HAVE SEEN POLICE TAKE KIDS OFF OF THIS. OR IF WE HAVE SEEN ICE TAKE POLICE TAKE KIDS AWAY FROM THEIR FAMILIES. IF 5-YEAR-OLD LIAM WASN'T SAFE, HOW CAN MY 8-YEAR-OLD FEEL SAFE? I URGE CITY COUNCIL TO VOTE YES ON THIS NEW ORDINANCE TO PROTECT HOUSTONIANS. WHILE MORE WORK NEEDS TO BE DONE, I DO FEEL LIKE THIS IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT CLARK FOSTER TO BE FOLLOWED BY KIM OOP. HELLO, I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT D IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK, UH, AGAINST HPD AND ICE COLLABORATION. UH, HOUSTON AND ITS RESIDENTS DESERVE BETTER FROM OUR CITY GOVERNMENT. UH, WE DESERVE TO HAVE MORE TRANSPARENCY. WE DESERVE TO HAVE, UH, UM, NON-ENFORCEMENT OF ADMINIS. WE DESERVE TO HAVE AN HPD THAT IS NOT COOPERATING WITH ICE AND THAT, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE WARRANTS ARE NOT BEING USED AS GROUNDS FOR HPD TO, UH, [00:10:01] TO ARREST, DETAIN AND TRANSPORT INDIVIDUALS. UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE GREATER TRANSPARENCY FROM THE CITY NOT TO SEE, UH, FEET DRAGGED BY MEMBERS OF OUR CITY GOVERNMENT ON ADMITTING TO COOPERATION BETWEEN ICE AND HPD AS WE'VE SEEN IN THE PAST, AND TO SEE A STRONGER, UH, ADVOCACY FOR PROTECTING THE FOURTH AMENDMENT IN OUR RIGHT AGAINST UNLAWFUL SEARCH AND SEIZURE AS WELL. DETENTION, UH, THE ACTIONS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL CAN TAKE, UH, ARE GREATER THAN THOSE WHICH THEY'RE, WHICH THEY HAVE TAKEN IN THE PAST. YOUR, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU. NEXT, KIM. SO SOUP TO BE FOLLOWED BY DALE STORY? YES. GOOD AFTERNOON. UH, HONORABLE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS KIM SOUK AND I LIVE IN DISTRICT A AND I BELIEVE THAT THE ICE AGENTS AND HPD SHOULD COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER TO BETTER MANAGE THE SITUATION, UH, HERE IN HOUSTON, UH, AND WHAT THEY'RE WORKING, UH, TOWARDS. SO THERE SHOULD NOT BE ANY LIMITS IN COMMUNICATION. UM, AND GENERALLY SPEAKING IN THE WORKFORCE, UH, COMMUNICATION SHOULD ANYWAY PROMOTE, UH, BETTER OUTCOMES, UH, A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE HERE IN HOUSTON. AND SO I BELIEVE THAT, UH, THEY, UH, SHOULD, UH, BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. NEXT DALE STORY TO BE FOLLOWED BY YOU, A LEWIS, UH, DALE STORY, RETIRED POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR EMERITUS DISTRICT C SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE ORIGINAL SALINAS ET AL PROPOSED ORDINANCE. AND IN STRONG OPPOSITION TO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S DECISION, EXCUSE ME, TO DELETE THE SECTION ON ICE ADMINISTRATIVE WARRANTS. THIS AMOUNTS TO A UNILATERAL DECISION BY AN UNELECTED OFFICIAL BEHOLDEN ONLY TO MAYOR WHITMEYER, ESSENTIALLY AN EXECUTIVE VETO PRIOR TO EVEN, PARDON ME, BEING CONSIDERED BY THE COUNCIL, WHILE DISGUISED AS A LEGAL OPINION, THIS DECISION IS A PROLONGATION OF THE FALSE AND RACIST REC RHETORIC REGARDING THIS COMMUNITY. THE LITERATURE CLEARLY SHOWS THAT UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS PROVIDE A NET POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION TO OUR ECONOMY AND THE AVERAGE LEVEL OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY FAR BELOW THAT NATIVE BORN CITIZENS UPHOLD DEMOCRATIC DECISION MAKING AND PROTECT OUR COMMUNITIES. FOLLOW THE TRUTH. THANK YOU. NEXT YOU UA LEWIS TO BE FOLLOWED BY HANEY KHALIL. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. I'M A CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY HERE IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, AND I'M SORRY. I'M A CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY HERE IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. AND, UM, THE YOUNG MAN AJ MADE A POINT THAT IS VERY VALID AS A UNITED STATES CITIZEN. HE HAS EVERY RIGHT TO BE AFRAID OF ICE HERE IN HOUSTON AND ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES. I'M HOLDING UP A PICTURE OF KEITH PORTER JR. HE IS A FORMER HOUSTON RESIDENT. HE WILL NO LONGER EVER BE A HOUSTON RESIDENT BECAUSE OF THE ACTIONS OF ICE AND A STORY THAT WAS LIED ABOUT HIM THAT HE WAS SHOOTING WHEN HE NEVER WAS. THIS IS THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO BE AFRAID OF, AND I, I ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO PASS THIS ORDINANCE. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT AS IT STANDS AND AS IT WAS PRESENTED. MAYOR WHITMEYER, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO BE THE LEADER ON THIS AND NOT TAKE ANYTHING OUT OF IT AND RESPECT THE LAW THAT I KNOW THAT YOU CAN AND WILL DO IN THIS ORDINANCE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT HANEY KHALIL TO BE FOLLOWED BY ELISSA CUE. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR WHITMEYER AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS MANNY KLEEL WITH THE TEXAS GULF COAST A-F-L-C-I-O. AND ON BEHALF OF OUR FEDERATION, 75 AFFILIATED UNIONS AND 60,000 UNION MEMBERS, I URGE YOU TO PASS THE REVISED IMMIGRATION ORDINANCE. LAST WEEK, OUR FEDERATION'S EXECUTIVE BOARD VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO SUPPORT THIS ORDINANCE. WE DID SO BECAUSE UNIONS BELIEVE EVERY WORKER DESERVES TO LIVE AND WORK WITHOUT FEAR, REGARDLESS OF OUR IMMIGRATION STATUS. HOUSTON'S BUILT BY WORKING PEOPLE FROM ALL BACKGROUNDS, INCLUDING IMMIGRANT WORKERS WHO ARE VITAL TO OUR ECONOMY, OUR UNIONS, OUR FAMILIES. BUT WHEN WORKERS FEAR THAT INTERACTING WITH POLICE COULD LEAD TO DEPORTATION AND HARM TO THEIR FAMILIES, THEY'RE LESS LIKELY TO REPORT CRIMES, TAKE THEIR KIDS TO SCHOOL, SPEAK UP ABOUT UNSAFE CONDITIONS ON THE JOB, OR EVEN REPORT TO WORK, MAKING ALL OF US LESS SAFE IN THE ECONOMY, MORE VULNERABLE. DALLAS, AUSTIN BEAR COUNTY HAVE ALREADY PASSED SIMILAR ORDINANCES. WE BELIEVE THAT DELETED OFFICER, UH, OFFICER DISCRETION PROVISION IS LAWFUL AND WE'LL CONTINUE ADVOCATING FOR THAT. BUT IN [00:15:01] THE MEANTIME, THE CITY OF HOUSTON SHOULD TAKE MEANINGFUL ACTION TODAY TO PROTECT IMMIGRANT FAMILIES BY PASSING THIS IMMIGRATION ORDINANCE. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. YOU, YOU, UH, COUNCILMAN KAMAN? NO, REALLY? HANEY? I THINK YOU ANSWERED IT BECAUSE YOU SAID THAT THE THE BODY. FIRST OFF, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND THE VOICES OF OUR, OUR WORKING FAMILIES. UH, YOU HAD SAID THAT THE BODY HAD VOTED IN FAVOR OF THE PROPOSITION THAT WAS PRIOR TO THE, THE LEGAL RULING BY THE CITY LEGAL DEPARTMENT TO REMOVE A SECTION JUST FOR THE RECORD, Y'ALL WOULD SUPPORT IT AS A WHOLE AS WELL. IS THAT CORRECT? ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. YEAH. WE WANT, WE WANT TO LOOK, WE'RE, THE LABOR MOVEMENT IS VERY PRACTICAL. WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE PROGRESS MADE WHEN PROGRESS IS ON THE TABLE, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR WHAT WE THINK IS LAWFUL. OTHER CITIES HAVE PASSED THIS, WE THINK IT, THAT OTHER PROVISION SHOULD BE ADDED BACK AND WE'LL SUPPORT IT THEN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT ELISSA CUE TO BE FOLLOWED BY TAANA PR. HI, I'M ELISSA CUE, RESIDENT OF DISTRICT D. UM, I'VE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS WITH A LOT OF VERY DIFFERENT PEOPLE IN THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS ABOUT POLICE AND ICE AND IMMIGRATION IN HOUSTON. AND ONE THING I'VE NOTICED ACROSS THE BOARD, NO MATTER WHO YOU'RE TALKING TO, PEOPLE ARE VERY QUICK TO IDENTIFY A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP THAT THEY HAVE TO AN IMMIGRANT IN THEIR LIVES. UH, IT'S LIKE THEY CAN'T HELP IT ACTUALLY. UM, AND I THINK THAT THIS IS BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE THIS, WHEN YOU LIVE IN HOUSTON, YOU KNOW THAT EVERY SINGLE DAY OF YOUR LIFE AN IMMIGRANT DOES SOMETHING TO MAKE YOUR LIFE A LITTLE BIT BETTER. IT'S AN UNAVOIDABLE REALITY HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER, THE LAST MONTH WHEN WE WERE HERE, I HEARD YOU SAY THAT THE CONVERSATION WE WERE HAVING THAT DAY WAS NOT REALLY ABOUT IMMIGRATION. AND IF THAT'S TRUE, I HOPE THAT IT CAN BE A CONVERSATION INSTEAD ABOUT SEEING EVERY PERSON AS A HUMAN BEING FIRST AND EVERYTHING ELSE. SECOND, I'VE HEARD YOU ADVOCATE FOR POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY. A LOT OF YOU ADVOCATE FOR POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY AND PUBLIC SAFETY, AND I BELIEVE THAT I, I WANNA BELIEVE THAT I WANNA LIVE IN THAT WORLD. I'LL, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU. I'LL FINISH UP. UM, THANK YOU. I WOULD LIKE TO LIVE IN THAT WORLD. THANK YOU. BUT THE WAY THINGS ARE NOW, WE ARE WEAKENING POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY TO HOUSTONIANS BY MAKING POLICE ACCOUNTABLE TO FEDERAL IMMIGRATION, TANA PR. SO PLEASE PASS THE ORDINANCE AND I HOPE YOU HAVE A SERIOUS CONVERSATION ABOUT TAKING HPD OFF OF NON-SAFETY TRAFFIC STOPS. THANK YOU SO MUCH AND HAVE A NICE DAY. GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL MEMBERS. I AM TANA PAR OF ONE OF THE CO-FOUNDERS OF POSITIVE WOMEN'S NETWORK, TEXAS STRIKE FORCE. SO AS A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN, IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT, BUT ALSO AS A BLACK WOMAN LIVING WITH HIV, THAT THESE POLICIES THAT SHOULD BE DESIGNED SO ALL MOTORISTS BENEFIT FROM A CLEARER RULES, SAFER ENFORCEMENT PRACTICES AND FEWER UNNECESSARY POLICIES INTERACTION. BUT WHAT I'M SAYING TO TODAY IS, AS SOMEONE WHO IS 65 YEARS OLD, WHO PRIDE HERSELF LIVING IN HOUSTON, THAT WE NEED TO HAVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES THAT BENEFIT ALL OF HOUSTON, NOT JUST PARTS OF HOUSTON WHEN IT COMES TO IMMIGRATION, WHEN IT COMES TO PEOPLE'S HEALTHCARE, WHEN IT COMES TO THE RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE GREW UP AND BEEN A PART OF THIS COMMUNITY FOR A LIFETIME. DESERVE TO HAVE THE THINGS THAT THEY NEED AS HOUSTONIANS, BUT ALSO AS HUMAN BEINGS. SO PLEASE CONSIDER THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES THAT ARE BENEFICIAL TO YOU. YOUR, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU. GLORIA. GLORIA FLORES. DIG GUDO. SHE MOVED. JARED, DO BRANICK. HE'S IN THE OVERFLOW ROOM. OKAY, SIR. TONY CURRY. HOLD ON. IF THEY'RE IN THE OVERFLOW ROOM, HOW DOES THAT WORK? ARE WE GONNA WAIT FOR THEM TO WALK OVER? I THINK GO AHEAD AND INTERVIEW BACK. OKAY. THEY'LL, WE'LL COME BACK AROUND. OKAY. SIRONI CURRY, SIRONI CURRY, ROBERT STUBBLEFIELD [00:20:04] TO BE FOLLOWED BY IAN EK. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS BOB STUBBLEFIELD. I'M COORDINATOR OF THE JUSTICE MINISTRY AT RESURRECTION METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCH OVER IN TIMBER GROVE MANOR. UM, WE'RE HERE REPRESENTING BOTH MY CONGREGATION AND TEXAS IMPACTS, UH, HOUSTON FAITH VOTES IN SUPPORT OF COUNCIL MEMBERS SALINAS'S PROPOSED ORDINANCE CLARIFYING THE LAW REGARDING WHEN HBD IS REQUIRED TO CONTACT ICE OFFICERS. I'M ASKING THAT THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE BE IMPLEMENTED TO LIMIT HPD OFFICERS INVOLVEMENT IN IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT DURING TRAFFIC STOPS. UH, SPECIFICALLY ENCOUNTERS INVOLVING INDIVIDUALS WITH ADMINISTRATIVE IMMIGRATION CIVIL WARRANTS THAT ARE NOT SIGNED BY A JUDGE OR A MAGISTRATE. UNDER THE CURRENT POLICY, THERE IS DANGER OF RACIAL PROFILING AND PRETEXT ABUSE WHEREBY SOME OFFICERS COULD USE SEEMINGLY MINOR TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS LIKE A CRACKED WINDSHIELD AS A PRETEXT TO STOP A VEHICLE AND ESCALATE A ROUTINE TRAFFIC STOP INTO AN IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT ENCOUNTER. YOUR TIME, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT, IAN HICK TO BE FOLLOWED BY SARAH HIRSCH. GOOD EVENING COUNSEL. I GREW UP IN HOUSTON'S EAST END IN DISTRICT. I, WHEN I ATTENDED LAND TRIP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, I WAS ONE OF THE FEW WHITE CHILDREN IN CLASS, BUT I DIDN'T REALIZE IT BECAUSE THEY WERE JUST MY FRIENDS AND THAT WAS JUST MY COMMUNITY. BUT NOW THAT I'M OLDER, I REALIZE THAT MY SKIN COLOR IS A PRIVILEGE AND IT IS UNDESERVED. SO I WANT TO USE IT TO PROTECT THE OTHER MEMBERS OF MY COMMUNITY WHO DON'T HAVE THAT PRIVILEGE ACROSS HOUSTON, ESPECIALLY IN DISTRICT I MANY OUR IMMIGRANTS OR HAVE IMMIGRANT RELATIVES, THEY'RE SCARED. THEY DON'T TRUST HPD AND SO THEY DON'T CALL AND THEY DON'T TALK TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS BECAUSE TO THEM, YOU'RE PART OF THE SYSTEM. FAIR OR NOT, AMERICA HAS PLAYED A NASTY BAIT AND SWITCH FOR DECADES. WE LOVE CHEAP IMMIGRANT LABOR AND THE FOOD AND GOODS THEY PROVIDE. SO WE RECRUIT THEM. WE LOOK THE OTHER WAY UNTIL WE NEED A SCAPEGOAT THAT WE CAST THEM AS VILLAINS AND CRIMINALS, EVEN THOSE TRYING TO NAVIGATE OUR BYZANTINE IMMIGRATION SYSTEM. I ASK YOU TO SUPPORT THE ORDINANCE FROM SALINAS CAYMAN IMP POLLARD, THAT WOULD DEFINE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ICE AND HPD. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU. SARAH HIRSCH TO BE FOLLOWED BY AMANDA MORENO. HELLO, EVERYONE. UH, MY NAME IS SARAH HIRSCH. I AM A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT. I, UH, I AM ALSO A HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER, WHICH MAKES ME A CIVIL SERVANT. AND I UNDERSTAND HOW PRECIOUS TUESDAY NIGHT, EVENING TIME IS. SO, UH, THAT'S WHY I'M OUT HERE. UH, IT'S WORTH IT TO ME TO COME SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THE SALINAS CAYMAN POLLARD ICE AND HBD ORDINANCE. I WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE IT IF YOU ALL VOTED FOR IT. THANK YOU. NEXT, COUNCILMAN POLLARD HAS A PROCEDURAL MOTION COUNCIL. THANK YOU MAYOR. COUNCIL POLLARD. YEAH, THANK YOU MAYOR. I'D LIKE TO, UM, MAKE A MOTION TO ADD, UH, CAESAR ESPINOSA TO THE END OF THE ORIGINAL THREE MINUTE AGENDA LIST. MOTION MADE AND SECONDED. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAME. MOTION BACK. COUNCILMAN SALINAS. I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO ADD THAT DI GUTIERREZ TO THE END OF THE ONE MINUTE LIST. OKAY. MOTION MADE AND SECONDED. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED A MOTION PASSES. OKAY. AM I, AM I GOOD? OKAY. UH, FELLOW HOUSTONIANS AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, FIRST, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. I STAND HERE TODAY TO OPPOSE PROPOSITION A AS IT WOULD LIMIT OUR, UH, HPDS COOPERATION WITH FEDERAL AND IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES. OUR ELECTED LEADERS WERE CHOSEN BY US CITIZENS, NOT BY PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE UNLAWFULLY, WHO MUST WORK WITH OUR STATE AND FEDERAL PARTNERS, NOT AGAINST THEM TO ENFORCE THE LAW AND ENSURE AMERICAN PROSPERITY CATERING TO THOSE WHO ARE HERE UNLAWFULLY IS NOT COMPASSIONATE. IT'S RECKLESS. IT DRIVES UP THE TAX BURDEN. AND HARDWORKING HOUSTON FAMILIES WHO ALREADY PAY FOR EMERGENCY ROOMS, HOSPITALS, SCHOOLS, AND PUBLIC SERVICES STRAINED BY THOSE WHO ENTER OUR COUNTRY UNLAWFULLY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. HOUSTON DESERVES LEADERS WHO PUT AMERICAN CITIZENS FIRST REJECT THIS PROPOSAL, STOP CODDLING NON CITIZENS OF THE EXPENSE OF TAX PAYERS DEMAND FULL COOPERATION WITH ICE AND FEDERAL LAW. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, . THANK YOU. PLEASE. AMANDA MORENO. OH, THAT WAS AMANDA NICOLE HUGHES. [00:25:06] OH, I'M SORRY. NICHOLAS HUGHES SMERALDA LEDESMA TO BE FOLLOWED BY LETTY ORTEGA TEGO. GOOD EVENING COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS ESMERALDA LEDESMA AND I'M WITH URI JUNTOS ADVOCATING FOR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES ACROSS HOUSTON. AND I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT C IN THE MUSEUM DISTRICT AS A HOUSTONIAN DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY IMMIGRATION POLICY. I WAS EAGER TO LEARN ABOUT COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS'S ORDINANCE EMPOWERING HPD TO NOT DO ICE'S DIRTY WORK FOR THEM. AS WE ALL KNOW, HOUSTON IS A CITY THAT THRIVES FROM DIVERSITY. AND TO HAVE AN ORDINANCE LIKE THIS PRESENTED FOR THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF HOUSTONIANS THAT ARE IMMIGRANTS WHO CALL THE CITY HOME WAS LONG OVERDUE. THIS MOMENT OF JOY WAS SHORT-LIVED WHEN I LEARNED ABOUT THE CITY ATTORNEY'S CUT THE SINGLE MOST IMPACTFUL PIECE OF THE ORDINANCE WITHOUT THE SECTION REGARDING HPD, NOT CALLING ICE ON ADMINISTRATIVE WARRANTS. THE PROTECTION FOR OUR COMMUNITIES IS ONLY THE VERY BEGINNING OF WHAT HOUSTONIANS NEED TODAY I CALL UPON YOU THE COUNCIL MEMBERS OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE CITY ATTORNEY TO STAND UP FOR ALL HOUSTONIANS REGARDLESS OF STATUS TO ENSURE NO ONE HAS TO LIVE IN FEAR ACROSS HOUSTON. FATHERS FEAR BEING PULLED OVER ON THEIR WAY TO WORK. MOTHERS THINK TWICE BEFORE GOING TO THE GROCERY STORE AND CHILDREN BITE THEIR NAILS FEARING. OH, THANK YOU. YOUR, YOUR TIME. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED, MS. TO STAND. SOME HAVE SHOWN UP THAT WE CALLED THEIR NAME. YES SIR. YOU WANNA RE CALL THEIR NAME? COP? DID WE SPEAK? NO, CALL HER, MA'AM. YOU GO AHEAD. WE CALLED HER AFTER HER. LET'S PLAY CATCH UP. AND THOSE THAT MISSED THE CALL. YES, YES. GO AHEAD MA'AM. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS LETTI ORTEGA. I'M A HOUSTONIAN AND ORGANIZER AT MI FAMI ION. WE WORK WITH COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTY, INCLUDING YOUTH AND MIXED STATUS FAMILIES. WE BELIEVE THAT WHEN EVERY COMMUNITY VOICE IS INCLUDED, WE CAN CREATE SOLUTIONS THAT HELP EVERY FAMILY THRIVE. WE DON'T HAVE SAFER OR HAPPIER COMMUNITIES WHEN PEOPLE ARE AFRAID TO CALL FOR HELP WHEN THEY'RE BEING HURT, NEED AN AMBULANCE WHEN THEY'RE SICK, OR TO SIMPLY BE OUTSIDE IN THEIR COMMUNITY BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN OR IF THEY WILL BE TREATED FAIRLY. COLLABORATION WITH ICE DOES NOT BRING SAFETY TO HOUSTON COMMUNITIES. IT PUTS THE FREEDOMS AND RIGHTS OF EVERYONE AT RISK AND CREATES FEAR, DISTRUST, AND CONFUSION IN OUR CITY. WE ALL WANT FAMILIES IN HOUSTON TO THRIVE AND LIVE IN SAFETY, NOT FEAR. ENDING COLLABORATION WITH ICE ON ADMINISTRATIVE WARRANTS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY TO RESTORE TRUST SO FAMILIES IN HOUSTON CAN FEEL SAFE WHEN THEY ENCOUNTER HPD OR FACE ANY EMERGENCY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MA'AM. NEXT, HALEY ROGERS. THANK YOU. HALEY ROGERS TO BE FOLLOWED BY KYLE ROGERS. HELLO, MY NAME IS HAILEY ROGERS. I'M AN ORGANIZER WITH HOUSTON LEADS AND DSA. UM, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, I'M A LIFELONG HOUSTONIAN OF THIS CITY. UM, AND I CARE FOR THE CITY DEEPLY, EVEN THOUGH HALF MY FAMILY HAS URGED ME TO LEAVE THE CITY. AND I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHILE THIS ORDINANCE IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TOWARDS, TOWARDS HARM REDUCTION FOR OUR MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES, IT IS NOT ENOUGH TAKING OUT THE KEY PROVISION IN PROP A THAT ALLOWS HPD DISCRETION TO CALL ICE WHEN AN ADMINISTRATIVE WARRANT IS FOUND IN THE NCIC DATABASE IS NOT WHAT THE CITY WANTS, NEEDS, OR DEMANDS. I URGE THE COUNCIL TO REINSTATE THIS PROVISION IN THE FORM OF AN ADDENDUM. EVERY DAY WE HEAR ABOUT HORRIBLE CONDITIONS, DETAINEES, ESPECIALLY WOMEN AND CHILDREN ARE FACING WITHIN THE DE UH, DETENTION CENTERS IN THIS STATE. I'D ALSO LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THAT AUSTIN AND DALLAS HAVE ALSO, UM, PASSED SIMILAR PROVISIONS WITH THE SAME LANGUAGE. AND GREG ABBOTT HAS NOT WITHDRAWN FUNDING FROM THESE CITIES EITHER. THANK YOU KYLE ROGERS TO BE FOLLOWED BY GLORIA FLORES. DEDO. GUDO. HELLO, COUNSEL. UM, MY NAME'S KYLE ROGERS. I'M A A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT. I, UM, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY BASICALLY ON POLICY AND PROCESS, UH, TO ME IT SEEMS LIKE, UH, REQUIRING POLICE OFFICERS TO DO, UH, REPORTS TO ICE, UM, OVER THE MINIMUM REQUIRED STOP TIME IS OPENING UP THE CITY TO JUST LAWSUIT AFTER LAWSUIT BASED ON FOURTH AMENDMENT GROUNDS. AND I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU NOT DO THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GLORIA FLORES DI DE GUDO [00:30:04] TO BE FOLLOWED BY RUTH HOFFMAN LOCKE. UM, FIRST I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE MYSELF. MY NAME IS CARMEN MAYORGA AND I'M WITH SCIU TEXAS AND I'M GONNA BE DOING THE INTERPRETATION FOR OUR MEMBER. OKAY. RE GABRIELA UZMAN. I OKAY. MY NAME IS GABRIELA AND I'M 55 YEARS OLD AND I WORK FOR GEORGIA BROWN CONVENTION CENTERS AND I ALSO HAVE OTHER COWORKERS DOWNSTAIRS. OKAY. WE, I'M HERE IN SUPPORT OF OUR AIRPORT WORKERS, AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT ALSO, UH, CITY CONTRACT WORKERS AND AIRPORT WORKERS. YOU CAN MARK, UM, A SPOT IN OUR LIVES SO YOU CAN, WE, YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. WE CANNOT LIVE WITH WHAT WE ARE, UM, WHAT WE ARE, UH, GETTING PAID. A LOT OF US HAVE TWO JOBS. I WORK FROM SIX IN THE MORNING, SIX 30 IN THE MORNING TO 2:00 PM AND THEN I WORK FROM 11:11 PM TO THREE IN THE MORNING AND SOMETIMES TO FOUR IN THE MORNING. AND I WAKE UP AT SIX 30 IN THE MORNING. AMERICAN HOUSTON, JUST RECENTLY THE HILTON AMERICA RECEIVE A PAY INCREASES, WHICH WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED A PAY INCREASE. WE'RE NOT ASKING NOTHING IRRATIONAL. WE'RE ASKING FOR JUSTICE AND DIGNITY FOR US. TIME HAS EXPIRED. PLEASE DON'T LEAVE US BEHIND. THANK YOU. THANK YOU CAYMAN MAYOR, I JUST WANTED TO SAY TO OUR SPEAKERS, BUT ALSO TO ALL OF OUR, OUR LABOR, UM, 'CAUSE I THINK SHE MENTIONED THAT THERE ARE WORKERS DOWNSTAIRS, UM, THAT ARE LISTENING RIGHT NOW TO THANK THEM FOR COMING AS WELL BECAUSE THEY WORK EXTREMELY LONG HOURS, UM, UNDER VERY DIFFICULT CONDITIONS. AND THE FACT THAT THEY SHOWED UP HERE, UM, NOT ONLY TO SPEAK BUT TO SHOW, UH, THEIR SUPPORT BY SHOWING UP REALLY MEANS A LOT, A LOT. SO I JUST WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF WORKERS IN THE BUILDING THAT MAY NOT BE SPEAKING TONIGHT AS WELL. THANK YOU. RUTH. RUTH HOFF, RUTH HOFFMAN, LOCK. COLIN BO. COLIN BO, ARE YOU? GOOD AFTERNOON ON THE REVEREND DR. COLIN BOSON, SENIOR MINISTER OF THE FIRST UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH OF HOUSTON, SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE ORIGINAL ORDINANCE AS PROPOSED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS SALINAS CAYMAN AND POLLARD, INCLUDING ALL THREE PROVISIONS. OUR CONGREGATION WAS FOUNDED IN 1914 AND HAS BEEN A VOICE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE IN HOUSTON FOR OVER A CENTURY. THE VALUES THAT HAVE GUIDED US AND OUR WORK FOR CIVIL RIGHTS, GENDER EQUITY, AND L-B-G-T-Q RIGHTS ARE THE SAME THAT BRING ME HERE TODAY TO SPEAK FOR IMMIGRANT RIGHTS. NAMELY, THE BELIEF THAT ALL PERSONS HAVE INHERENT WORTHINESS AND DIGNITY, AND THAT ALL ARE DESERVING OF LOVE, RESPECT, AND EQUALITY UNDER THE LAW. PLEASE WORK TO ENACT THE FULL ORDINANCE TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS INDIGNITIES OF ALL HOUSTONIANS. THANK YOU, AMY. AMY CARL ROY HIRSCH TO BE FOLLOWED BY ALEXANDRIA O'NEILL, MAYOR WHITMEYER, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. I'M ROY HIRSCH. I LIVE IN DISTRICT. I AND I JOIN MY FELT LIKE-MINDED HOUSTONIANS, UH, AND COMPLETELY SUPPORT THE ADOPTION OF THE ORDINANCE, UH, ON THE, ON THIS ORDINANCE, ON THE GROUNDS [00:35:01] THAT PUBLIC MONIES SHOULD NOT BE SPENT FOR HPD TO ENGAGE IN CHAPERONE OBLIGATIONS TO ICE RELATED TO ADMINISTRATIVE WARRANTS WHICH ARE CIVIL IN NATURE, AND NOT REVIEWED BY A JUDGE. AUSTIN, DALLAS AND SAN ANTONIO HAVE ADOPTED SIMILAR MEASURES. I SIMPLY ASK THE COUNSEL TO PLEASE PASS THIS ORDINANCE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, YOU ALEXANDRA ALEXANDRIA O'NEILL, TIMOTHY TAFT TO BE FOLLOWED BY STEPHANIE WILKINS, HONOR THE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS TIMOTHY TAFT. I LIVE IN DISTRICT FI SEE MY COUNSEL PERSON'S NOT HERE AND HAVE RESIDED IN HOUSTON SINCE 1968, EXCEPT FOR TWO YEARS IN THE ARMY, INCLUDING A TOUR IN VIETNAM. I SERVED AS A HARRIS COUNTY PROSECUTOR FOR 16 YEARS IN A JUSTICE ON THE FIRST COURT OF APPEALS HERE IN HOUSTON FOR 14 AND A HALF YEARS. I ALSO SERVED SEVEN YEARS IN THE TEXAS AIRBORNE NATIONAL GUARD AND MANY YEARS AS DEACON AND TREASURE PINE VALLEY BIBLE CHURCH, MY WIFE, WHO IS A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN, AND I CONTINUE OUR 20 YEARS OF SERVICE TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AS CITIZENS ON PATROL. I HAVE COME TO SPEAK AGAINST THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE THAT WOULD PLACE THE CONCERNS OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ABOVE THE SAFETY OF ALL HOUSTON RESIDENTS, INCLUDING BOTH LEGAL AND ILLEGAL. ICE IS SIMPLY CARRYING OUT IMMIGRATION LAW THAT WAS NOT ONLY NOT EXECUTED DURING THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, BUT IMMIGRATION LAW WAS FLAGRANTLY VIOLATED MILLIONS OF TIMES. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU. I THOUGHT YOU HAD TWO MINUTES. COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER, COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER. I THOUGHT POINT OF ORDER. I THOUGHT I HAD TWO MINUTES. SORRY. IT'S MAYOR. POINT OF ORDER. MAY I MAKE POINT OF ORDER? I KNOW THAT TEMPS ARE HIGH RIGHT NOW, AND I KNOW EVERYONE IS EXTREMELY PASSIONATE, BUT WE CAN'T HEAR WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING WHEN SOMEONE'S TALKING AND WHETHER WE AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH THEM. CAN WE PLEASE AFFORD THEM THE SAME RESPECT? IS EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE CHAMBER PLEASE? COUNCIL MEMBER. I THOUGHT I HAD TWO MINUTES. COUNCILMAN CARTER? JUST ONE. I'M ON A TWO MINUTE LIST. JUST EVERYBODY GETS ONE, ONE MINUTE, SIR. OH, OKAY. COULD I, UH, SUBMIT COPIES OF NO, WE'RE WE'RE GOING BY STRICT ENFORCEMENT. YES, YOU CAN. COULD I, I HAVE COPIES FOR THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL. YEAH, YOU CAN HAND COUNCIL MEMBERS. CAN I GET THEM COPIES OF THAT GENTLEMAN RIGHT THERE? OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I'M GONNA PUT THEM OUT THERE. STEPHANIE WILKINS, JOY DAVIS, CARLA WEST. HMM. SOMEBODY SIGNED ALL THESE PEOPLE UP. ARE YOU CARLA? HELLO. DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF OUR COUNCIL AGAIN. HELLO, DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF OUR COUNCIL. UM, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND I WANT TO REMIND YOU OF TWO THINGS THAT ARE REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME. THIS IS HOLY WEEK. IN HOLY WEEK, WE RECOGNIZE, UH, EVEN THOUGH THIS SHOULD NOT BE POLITICAL, IT SHOULD NOT BE RELIGIOUS INSIDE THESE CHAMBERS. IT IS, BUT WE ARE HERE TO RECOGNIZE THE DEATH OF WHO I CONSIDER MY LORD AND SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, WHO WAS AN IMMIGRANT. BUT ONE IMPORTANT THING ABOUT HIM IS TO REMEMBER THAT ALTHOUGH HE WAS JEWISH, ALTHOUGH HE LIVED IN A CERTAIN PLACE, HE DIED FOR US ALL. SO LET US HONOR ALL PEOPLE. SO IN TRAFFIC STOPS CERTAIN PEOPLE THAT LOOK A CERTAIN WAY SHOULDN'T BE TARGETED. THEY SHOULDN'T BE AFRAID BECAUSE TRAFFIC STOPS AND OUR POLICE IS HERE TO PROTECT US ALL. SO LET'S PROTECT US. ALL. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED US ALL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU URSULA. SURREAL FROM FRESNO TO BE FOLLOWED BY JARED, DO BRANICK. OKAY. GOOD EVENING. UH, FIRST OF ALL, MY LAST NAME WAS MISSPELLED. IT'S URS AERIAL, SPELLED S-E-R-E-A-L. FOR THE CORRECTION, PLEASE. [00:40:01] UH, GOOD AFTERNOON. UM, I AM SPEAKING TODAY ON TRAFFIC STOPS. I HOPE MY WORDS ARE HURT OR REALLY HURT THIS EVENING. OKAY. UM, THE, UM, REGARDING THE FAIR TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENTS, YOU KNOW, WE HOPE THAT TO ENSURE THE SAFETY AND FAIRNESS AND TRAP STOPS IS FOR EVERYBODY, REGARDLESS OF THEIR RACE OR THEIR IMMIGRATION STATUS. UM, I HOPE THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, ENDORSE MEASURES THAT MAXIMIZE RELIEF FOR THE DRIVERS AND BUILD PUBLIC TRUST IN EVERYBODY'S COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY. UM, MANY IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, THE BLACK NEIGHBORHOODS WE SHARE AND WE WORRY ABOUT THE ESCALATION OF TRAFFIC STOPS. UM, I'VE HAD THAT EXPERIENCE. THE TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU. NEXT JARED, DEBRA TO BE FOLLOWED BY MONIQUE JACKSON FROM AMBLE. MY NAME IS JARED. I WAS BORN AND RAISED RIGHT HERE IN HOUSTON. I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE I DEEPLY CARE ABOUT THE DIRECTION OUR CITY IS TAKING REGARDING THE SAFETY AND RIGHTS OF ALL OUR NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS. THE ORDINANCE IS AN IMPORTANT STEP, BUT AS IT STANDS, IT SIMPLY DOESN'T GO FAR ENOUGH TO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY. HOUSTON DESERVES POLICIES THAT PROVIDE FULL PROTECTION, NOT HALF MEASURES THAT LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN FOR OVERREACH. IF MAJOR CITIES LIKE DALLAS AND AUSTIN, UM, ALREADY HAVE IMPLEMENTED POLICIES THAT PROVIDE SAFETY FOR OVER ICE, THERE'S NO REASON WHY HOUSTON CANNOT DO THE SAME. EVERY HOUSTONIAN DESERVES TO FEEL SAFE IN THEIR CITY. URGE THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO VOTE YES FOR THE ORIGINAL ORDINANCE. THANK YOU, MONIQUE. MONIQUE JACKSON, QUINN D DINA TO BE FOLLOWED BY CHRISTINE VO. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS QUINN FERENA AND I'M A, UH, RESIDENT OF DISTRICT H. UM, SO FOR THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, I'D LIKE TO TAKE, HAVE YOU TAKE A MOMENT AND JUST THINK AND REMEMBER WHY YOU GOT INTO PUBLIC SERVICE. I WOULD LIKE TO THINK, OR I TRULY HOPE THAT YOU TOLD YOURSELF THAT YOU WOULD MAKE HARD DECISIONS IN TOUGH TIMES. THAT YOU WOULD CHOOSE TO FIGHT FOR WHAT IS RIGHT IN THE FACE OF PRESSURE. FROM THOSE THAT HAVE MAY, MAY HAVE MORE POWER THAN YOURSELVES, BE IT THE MAYOR, THE GOVERNOR, OR EVEN THE PRESIDENT. NOW IS THE TIME TO MAKE GOOD ON THAT PROMISE TO YOURSELF AND TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS. THAT MOMENT IS HERE. IF YOU'RE NOT WILLING TO TAKE A STAND FOR THE COMMUNITY, WE WILL FIND OTHERS WHO WILL DO SO. THERE ARE INNUMERABLE, TALENTED, PASSIONATE, COMPETENT HOUSTONIANS THAT ARE READY TO TAKE THE MANTLE. THEY'RE IN THIS ROOM, THEY'RE IN YOUR DISTRICTS, AND THEY'RE IN THE CITY, AND THEY'RE READY TO TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE OF RESISTING AUTHORITARIANISM. IF YOU ARE TOO AFRAID TO STAND UP TO FASCISM, IF YOU ARE TOO BEHOLDEN TO YOUR DONORS OR TOO CORRUPTED, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED BY SPECIAL INTEREST. THIS JOB IS NOT FOR YOU. PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING AND VOTE IN SUPPORT OF THIS PROPOSED ORDINANCE. THANK YOU CHRIS. CHRISTINE VO TO BE FOLLOWED BY SYLVESTER DENBERG. UM, GOOD EVENING CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS CHRISTINE VO AND I'M A RESIDENT IN DISTRICT A IN SPRING BRANCH. I ORGANIZED WITH STANDUP HOUSTON, AN IMMIGRANT RIGHTS ORGANIZATION HERE IN HOUSTON. UM, I'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE AND I'M BACK AGAIN TO URGE YOU TO END THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S COOPERATION WITH ICE. UH, FOR MONTHS, ORGANIZERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE COME TO TIME AND TIME AGAIN TO BEG YOU TO ACTUALLY SERVE AND PROTECT YOUR CONSTITUENTS. EVERY SINGLE COUNCIL MEMBER HERE SHOULD BE SUPPORTING COUNCIL MEMBER SALINA'S PROPOSAL IN ITS ORIGINAL LANGUAGE, UH, NOT THE ONE THAT HAS BEEN CHANGED BY THE CITY'S LEGAL DEPARTMENT. BUT I WANNA REMIND YOU THAT WHILE THIS IS A GREAT FIRST STEP, UH, IT'S STILL NOT ENOUGH. WE ALL KNOW THAT AND YOU ALL KNOW THAT. UM, EARLIER TONIGHT WE HEARD FROM AJ A CHILD ABOUT HOW SCARED HE IS OF ICE AND I JUST WANNA ASK, WHY DOESN'T THAT MOVE YOU MORE TO DO MORE? THE ORDINANCE IN ITS ORIGINAL LANGUAGE IS A GOOD STEP. BUT DON'T YOU WANT MORE FOR YOUR CITY? DON'T YOU WANT MORE FOR THE PEOPLE THAT YOU'VE, THAT HAVE TRUSTED YOU TO PROTECT AND SERVE THEM? YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. I'M ASKING YOU TO IMAGINE A BETTER FUTURE FOR US ALL. THANK YOU. SYLVESTER DENBERG [00:45:04] TO BE FOLLOWED BY GRIFFIN WALKER. HI, UH, I'M SYLVESTER REIDENBERG AND I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT C COUNCIL MEMBER SALINA'S PROPOSAL IN ITS ORIGINAL LANGUAGE IS A CRUCIAL FIRST STEP FOR A CITY THAT DESERVES SO MUCH MORE. I WAS RECENTLY DOING OUTREACH WITH PSL AND STANDUP HOUSTON AND I SPOKE WITH SOME WORKERS AT A SMALL CLINIC IN WAYSIDE AND LEARN THAT IT AND MANY CLINICS LIKE IT ARE CLOSING BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE AFRAID TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES AND GO TO THE DOCTOR. BETWEEN THAT AND THE HORRIBLE CONDITIONS IN ICE DETENTION CENTERS, THIS IS A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS. THE MAYOR HAS SUGGESTED THAT COOPERATING WITH ICE IS PROTECTING US FROM SOME KIND OF CRACKDOWN FROM TRUMP OR ABBOTT, BUT THIS IS BLATANTLY FALSE. HOUSTON LEADS THE NATION IN ICE RS AND WE KNOW IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY. ORGANIZERS HERE ARE ALREADY DOING THE CRUCIAL WORK THE CITY SHOULD BE DOING, AND WE ALL SAW IN MINNEAPOLIS HOW STUDENTS UNIONS, CHURCH LEADERS COULD UNITE, CARRY OUT A GENERAL STRIKE AND WIN. WE CANNOT LET THE CITY'S LEGAL DEPARTMENT STOP US FROM DOING THE BARE MINIMUM TO PROTECT IMMIGRANTS IN HOUSTON. I WANT ICE OUT OF THE CITY AND I KNOW THAT THAT'S POSSIBLE. THANK YOU. GRIFFIN WALKER TO BE FOLLOWED BY KEVIN JOAQUIN. GOOD EVENING. I'M GRIFFIN FROM DISTRICT C AS AN ORGANIZER WITH THE PARTY FOR SOCIALISM AND LIBERATION AND STANDUP HOUSTON, AN IMMIGRANT RIGHTS FOCUS VOLUNTEER GROUP. I'VE SPENT THE LAST YEAR GETTING TO KNOW LOCAL IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES AND WORKING ALONGSIDE THEM TO AMPLIFY THE VISIBILITY OF THIS DEEPLY UNPOPULAR ICE CRACKDOWN. IT'S BECOME MORE CLEAR EACH AND EVERY DAY THAT THIS CITY WHOSE LEADERSHIP CLAIMS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE INCREDIBLE CONTRIBUTIONS OF IMMIGRANTS IS A HOSTILE PLACE FOR ALL OF US. HPD PRETENDS TO BE CONCERNED WHEN COMMUNITIES DON'T TRUST THEM, YET USES ANY EXCUSE TO CALL ICE WHITMEYER PRETENDS TO BE HONEST, WHILE LYING ABOUT HPD AND ICE COLLABORATION AND PRETENDS TO BE PROTECTING CITIZENS FROM LARGE ICE CRACKDOWNS BY SACRIFICING OUR MOST VULNERABLE CITY ATTORNEY, ARTURO MICHELLE PRETENDS TO BE CONCERNED WITH STATE LAW WHILE PULLING OUT THE KEY PROVISION THAT GAVE THIS ORDINANCE SOME TEETH. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. PASS THIS ORDINANCE AND ALL COLLABORATION WITH ICE. KEVIN JOAQUIN, ANDREA GORE GUERRERO, ROBERT GALLEGOS. OKAY. TO BE FOLLOWED BY AJ GOMEZ STONE. GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. I WANT TO PER PERSONALLY THANK COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD AND COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN FOR TAKING THE COURAGE AND, AND PUTTING THIS FORWARD. I'M HERE REPRESENTING, UH, THE LATINO LEARNING CENTER. I'M ON THEIR BOARD. I'M ALSO PRESIDENT OF MY CIVIC CLUB AND WE VOTED IN IN SUPPORT OF THIS ORDINANCE ALSO, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, I SERVED ON THIS BODY FOR 10 YEARS AND POSSIBLY VOTED FOR OVER THOUSANDS OF ITEMS THAT WERE ON THE AGENDA WITHIN THOSE 10 YEARS UNDER TWO MAYORS, MAYOR PARKER AND MAYOR TURNER. AND THERE SOME OF 'EM WERE TOUGH, BUT COUNCIL MEMBERS, THIS ITEM IS NOT TOUGH. DURING THE 2020 CENSUS, HOUSTON IS MADE UP OF 46% OF THE POPULATION IS HISPANIC. ONE OUT OF FOUR ARE FOREIGN BORN, WHERE THE MOST DIVERSE CITY IN THE UNITED STATES. IF OUR CITY NEEDS TO GROW, HOUSTONIANS NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE SAFE TO GO TO WORK AND THEY ARE SAFE. THEIR KIDS ARE SAFE TO GO TO SCHOOL. THANK YOU. HOWARD DISTRICT ROBERT NEXT, AJ GOMEZ STONE. JENNIFER RAIEK, STEVEN WU TO BE FOLLOWED BY RANDALL BAXLEY. I AM STEVEN WU. I'M THE INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR WOODY JUNTOS. AND I'M GONNA TRY TO HOLD TWO THINGS TO BE TRUE. THE TWO REMAINING PROVISIONS OF THE SALINAS ORDINANCE ARE GOOD TRANSPARENCY AND UPHOLDING THE FOURTH AMENDMENT, BUT THE REMOVAL OF THE DISCRETION PER PROVISION WAS ASININE AND RIDICULOUS [00:50:02] HOW DALE SAID IT BEST. HOW DO HOW ARE WE ALLOWING AN APPOINTED OFFICIAL DI DICTATE THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE? I NEED THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE ATTORNEYS, TO TALK WITH HIM AND CONVINCE HIM AND TELL THEM THAT HE IS WRONG. WE ALSO NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT FOR FUTURE ACTIONS, THINGS LIKE NON-SAFETY TRAFFIC STOPS, WE MUST GO FURTHER TO PREVENT ANY OF MORE OF THESE VIOLENCE AGAINST OUR COMMUNITIES. AND LASTLY, IT'S VERY EVIDENT THAT FOLKS HERE IN FRONT OF ME ARE WAY TOO COMFORTABLE. MY LAST MESSAGE IS FOR THE PEOPLE BEHIND ME AND FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE WATCHING RIGHT NOW. ORGANIZE WITH US AT WOODY JUNTOS, ORGANIZE WITH US AT HOUSTON LEADS AND MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER WE WANT WE GET DONE. RANDALL BAXLEY, DISTRICT H RESIDENT, TAKING A MOMENT TO THANK, UH, AMY PECK AND WILLIE DAVIS FOR JOINING US ON FRIDAY FOR THE, UH, VETERANS VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL DAY AT THE, UH, AT OUR PARK IN, IN NEAR NORTH IN NORTHSIDE, HOUSTON. ALSO TO JUST SIMPLY STATE THAT IF A MAN KNOWS IT IS RIGHT AND DOES IT NOT UNTO HIM, IT IS SIN IF A MAN KNOWS IT IS WRONG AND DOES IT UNTO HIM, THAT IS SIN. NOW I'VE PARAPHRASED A LITTLE BIT, BUT NOT A LOT. WE ALL KNOW IN OUR HEARTS FROM THE SECOND CHAPTER OF GENESIS, THAT WHICH IS RIGHT AND THAT WHICH IS WRONG. AND I VOTE, I VOTE AND HOPE THAT YOU WILL VOTE THE HEART THAT GOD GAVE YOU. THANK YOU. J GERARD LYNCH, GERARD LYNCH, NORA PIERCE, ISAIAH LOPEZ. NO. YOU OKAY? GOOD EVENING. MY NAME'S NORA PIERCE AND I'M A MEMBER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON WIDE DSA. TODAY I AM MORNING. I'M MOURNING THE PEOPLE WHO INTERACT WITH HPD AND HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GO HOME AND TELL THEIR LOVED ONES ABOUT IT. I'M MOURNING THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN PULLED OVER FOR A BROKEN TAILLIGHT FOR THOSE WHO HAVE CALLED HPD TO REPORT DOMESTIC ABUSE AND ANY HOUSTONIAN WHO HAS BEEN KIDNAPPED BY MASK AGENTS 'CAUSE OF THIS GROUP'S INEFFECTIVENESS. I HAD TO REWRITE THIS BECAUSE I PLAN TO COME AND URGE YOU TOWARDS SUPPORTING PROP A I'M STILL HERE TO PROMOTE THIS LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE, BUT THE REMOVAL OF THE PROVISION THAT ALLOWED HPD DISCRETION MAKES ME SICK. YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT AN UNELECTED MEMBER OF THE HOUSTON CITY GOVERNMENT DECIDED TO STRIKE THIS? THAT'S NOT THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE. AND DOES THE HOUSTON CITY ATTORNEY ARTURO MICHELLE BELIEVES THAT THE OOF DOES HOUSTON BELIEVE THAT AUSTIN, DALLAS, AND BEXAR COUNTY ARE COMMITTING CRIMES ARE ILLEGALLY MOVING AGAINST THE STATE GOVERNMENT BECAUSE OUR CITY ATTORNEY DOES YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. NEVER FORGET WHERE HOUSTON'S AND INVESTMENT LIE LOPEZ WITH CORPORATIONS AND NOT THE PEOPLE. YOU MUST VOTE YES TO THESE REMAINING MEASURES IN PROP A FOR HOUSTON AND FOR YOUR CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT IN THIS GOVERNMENT TO BE FOLLOWED BY JULIE WYNN. I AM HERE BECAUSE OF HOW UNSERIOUS AND PATHETIC THIS BODY'S EFFORTS TO PROTECT OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES HAVE BEEN. WE NEED REAL ACTION, NOT APATHY AND WEAK ORDINANCES THAT FALL BELOW WHAT OTHER TEXAS CITIES HAVE ALREADY DONE. UNFORTUNATELY, WE PROBABLY HAVE THE MOST UNFIT LEADERSHIP FOR THIS CRISIS. THIS IS THE SAME MAYOR KNOWN FOR GUTTING VITAL PUBLIC SERVICES IN BLACK AND BROWN NEIGHBORHOODS TO PAY FOR MORE POLICING AND SURVEILLANCE. THE SAME MAYOR THAT ATTENDED A FUNDRAISER FOR A REPUBLICAN THAT WAS A MODERATOR OF A RACIST FACEBOOK GROUP, SAME MAYOR THAT INITIALLY TRIED TO LIE ABOUT ICE COLLABORATION. IT'S REALLY VI EMPATHETIC STUFF. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S INTERPRETATION OF THE LAW IS OUT OF STEP WITH WHAT OTHER TEXAS JU UH, JURISDICTIONS HAVE ALREADY DONE TO PROTECT FAMILIES AND EVEN APPEARS TO BE OUTTA STEP WITH THE FOURTH AMENDMENT TO OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT PUT THE ORDINANCE ON THE AGENDA. BUT I'M GLAD THAT Y'ALL ARE USING PROP A TO CHALLENGE BAD [00:55:01] LEADERSHIP. CLEARLY Y'ALL HAVE TO PUSH HARDER. HOW DO YOU WANT TO BE REMEMBERED AS LEADERS? YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED AS LEADERS THAT TOOK BOTH ACTION AGAINST FASCISM, WHEREAS PEOPLE THAT DIDN'T DO ENOUGH FOR THEIR COMMUNITIES. THANK YOU. WHEN THANK YOU, THE TRUST AND TIME YOU WERE GIVEN, YOU'LL HAVE TO DO BETTER THAN THIS. JULIE WINN JAMES CON, JAMES CONLEY ELIZABETH GUIDE JAMES CON TO BE FOLLOWED BY ELIZABETH GUIDE OF HUMBLE. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. MY NAME'S BETH GUIDE AND I'M FROM DISTRICT E. I'M NOT PART OF AN ORGANIZED GROUP LIKE MANY HERE. UM, AND I DOUBT VERY HIGHLY MANY OF THEM UNDERSTAND WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE HERE ON A VISA. I DO BECAUSE I LIVED THE FIRST SEVEN YEARS OF MY LIFE AS A, UM, A NATURAL RES A UH, PERMANENT RESIDENT. I'M A NATURALIZED AMERICAN CITIZEN NOW AND I WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS. LEGALLY, I PROVIDE DOCUMENTATION ALL OF MY LIFE. I AM ASKED ON A REGULAR BASIS AND HAVE TO CARRY MY NATURALIZATION CERTIFICATE WITH ME. I DON'T THINK PEOPLE REALIZE THAT. IT'S NOT UNCOMMON WHEN YOU LIVE IN THAT KIND OF A SITUATION, OKAY? I DON'T THINK IT'S RIGHT TO HAMPER LAW ENFORCEMENT. YOUR JOB IS TO KEEP THE CITY SAFE. IF I STOPS ME, I CAN SHOW THAT I'M HERE LEGALLY. IF YOU CAN'T, THEN YOU EITHER NEED TO FIGURE OUT THE PROCESS, FIX THE PROCESS, OR GO BACK TO WHERE YOU CAME FROM. I DON'T FEAR IT. I DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. AND I THINK YOU ARE. I THINK WE'RE MAKING THIS VERY MUCH UNSAFE TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO RUN AROUND THAT YOU DON'T KNOW THAT ARE HERE. YOU DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE IMMUNIZED, YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THEM. SO I SAY, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. LET'S SUPPORT LAW ENFORCEMENT. YOU JAMES. YOU JAMES. OKAY. AS A, UH, STUDENT ORGANIZER AND MORE IMPORTANTLY TO Y'ALL A VOTER, I WOULD LIKE TO TELL A STORY ABOUT ONE OF YOUR FORMER COWORKERS. A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, I CAST MY BALLOT FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY PRIMARY. AND WHILE I DIDN'T CARE FOR MOST NAMES, ONE OF THEM MADE ME SO EXCITED. I ALMOST SHOUTED IN THE VOTING CENTER, THAT NAME WAS LETITIA PLUMMER, A FORMER COUNCIL PERSON HERE WHO IF YOU DON'T KNOW, ATTEMPTED TO PUSH LEGISLATION THROUGH TO ALLOW HPD TO NOT HAVE TO CALL ICE ON, UH, ANYBODY WITH AN ADMINISTRATIVE WARRANT. IT WAS BECAUSE OF THAT INKLING OF KNOWLEDGE THAT I HAPPILY VOTED FOR HER. IF PROPOSITION A, WHICH WOULD DO JUST THAT DOES NOT GET PASSED IN ITS ENTIRETY. IF YOU CANNOT PRESSURE THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO CAPITULATE AND EXCUSE MY FRENCH, DO AS AUSTIN AND DALLAS DID, THEN THE SAME GRACE, I'M SURE MANY OTHERS LIKE ME GAVE MS. PLUMMER WILL NOT BE EXTENDED TO YOU. THIS B******T ASS STATE LAW EXCUSE IS NO LONGER BASED IN REALITY. Y'ALL ARE FREE TO PUT YOUR PROFIT, YOUR TIME OF YOUR POLITICS. BUT THAT'S ALL THAT ANYBODY OR ANY VOTER WILL EVER SEE YOU AS A PROFITEER. THANK YOU SARAH. SARAH LOPEZ. SARAH LOPEZ. COULD COULD I ASK OUR, OUR GUESTS TO LISTEN FOR A MOMENT? WE'RE BEING SO TOLERANT AND I'M, UH, GOING BACK OVER THE NAMES THAT MR. FIRST CALLS. SO WE'RE DOING OUR PART TO MAKE THIS A FAIR HEARING. WOULD YOU PLEASE HONOR OUR RULES? WE'RE UP HERE AND WE GET THE NOISE A LOT MORE DIRECT THAN YOU DO, AND IT IS EATING AND YOU ARE EATING UP SOME VALUABLE TIME SO WE CAN HAVE A VERY FAIR, FAIR HEARING THIS AFTERNOON, RESPECT TO EACH OTHER, PARTICULARLY THOSE THAT YOU MIGHT DISAGREE WITH. BUT PLEASE HOLD THE NOISE DOWN. WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO RESPECT YOU, SO PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL OF THAT. OKAY. THANK YOU. SARAH LOPEZ SU SUSANNA DURAN TO BE FOLLOWED BY LAURA PEREZ BOSTON. HELLO. GOOD EVENING. I'M SUSANNA LUAN. I'M AN ORGANIZING MANAGER AT WORKERS DEFENSE ACTION FUND. WE ARE A MEMBER LED ORGANIZATION THAT FIGHTS FOR WORKING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES IN TEXAS. I LIVE IN DISTRICT J, BUT I'M ACTUALLY NEW TO HOUSTON. I MOVED FROM ATLANTA WHERE I WAS AN ECONOMIST FOR THE US BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS AND AN ORGANIZER LONG BEFORE THEN. WHEN I JOINED THE WORKERS' DEFENSE TEAM, I WAS IMMEDIATELY MET WITH WARMTH AND OPTIMISM FROM OUR MEMBERS. I'VE HAD TO MEET SO MANY HOUSTON MEMBERS AND I'M GOING TO KNOW THEIR [01:00:01] STORIES, THEIR LAUGHTERS, THEIR FEARS AND THE FUTURES THEY ENVISION. AND THERE'S A COMMON THREAD THEY WANT TO LIVE IN. ABSENCE OF FEAR. THEY WANT TO GO TO WORK AND THEY WANNA MAKE IT BACK HOME SAFE AND SOUND. THEY WANT THEIR CHILDREN TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL. THEY WANNA GO TO THE PARK ON WEEKENDS. THEY WANNA GO TO THE FLEA MARKETS AGAIN, THEY WANT TO GO TOGETHER AS A FAMILY, BUT THEY ARE BEING SEPARATED, DETAINED AND DEPORTED BECAUSE HPD IS LITERALLY DETAINING AND HANDING OVER INDIVIDUALS TO ICE TO BE SEPARATED FROM THEIR FAMILIES, TO BE STARVED, TO BE MADE SICK, AND TO BE MADE TO SUFFER IN DETENTION. OUR MEMBERS DO THIS. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. VOTING YES IS A JUST THING TO DO. LAURA PEREZ, BOSTON TO BE GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS LAURA PEREZ BOSTON. I'M THE STATEWIDE ORGANIZING DIRECTOR WITH WORKERS DEFENSE ACTION FUND. A MEMBER LED ORGANIZATION THAT ORGANIZES ALONGSIDE LATINO FAMILIES TO FIGHT FOR WORKER AND IMMIGRANT JUSTICE. I'VE LIVED AND DONE COMMUNITY ORGANIZING WORK IN HOUSTON FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS AND LIVE IN DISTRICT A I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE ALL RESIDENTS IN THIS AMAZINGLY DIVERSE CITY DESERVE NOT JUST SAFETY, BUT THE FREEDOM TO STAY AND THRIVE IN OUR COMMUNITIES. THE IMPACT OF HBDS COLLABORATION WITH ICE ISN'T JUST A TICKET OR A FLAG IN THE SYSTEM. IT GOES FAR BEYOND THAT. IT'S THE TRAUMA AND GENERATIONAL IMPACT OF SEPARATED FAMILIES, THE ECONOMIC HARDSHIP OF CREDIT CARD DEBT TO PAY ATTORNEY'S FEES AND SUFFERING IN INHUMANE CONDITIONS AND DETENTION CAMPS. THIS COLLABORATION IS DESTROYING FAMILIES AND OUR COMMUNITY. THIS IS NOT WHO WE ARE IN HOUSTON. WORKERS' DEFENSE ACTION FUND, ALONG WITH HOUSTON LEADS AND RISE COALITION WILL CONTINUE URGING CITY COUNCIL TO GO FURTHER. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU. NEXT TIA DORO TO BE FOLLOWED BY DARLENE DEION OF THE HOUSTON. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS, AND I REPRESENT CRESCENT, A COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION WITH MORE THAN 10,000 MEMBERS ACROSS DIFFERENT DISTRICTS IN HOUSTON. TODAY I WANT TO EXPRESS ON BEHALF OF OUR COMMUNITIES THE DEEP CONCERN ABOUT THE, THE DETERIORATION OF TRUST BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY AND THE POLICE. FOR MANY YEARS, THE POLICE REPRESENTED A CERTAIN LEVEL OF SAFETY AND PROTECTION. HOWEVER, THAT PERCEPTION HAS CHANGED DUE TO THE FEAR CREATED BY THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN LOCAL POLICE AND ICE. THE FEAR HAS REAL CONSEQUENCES. MANY PEOPLE NO LONGER FEEL SAFE REPORTING CRIMES CALLING 9 1 1 WHEN THEY ARE IN DANGER OR COOPERATING WITH POLICE AS WITNESSES. FOR THAT REASON TODAY, WE RESPECTFULLY ASK THE MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF COUNCIL MEMBERS. SALINAS IS PROPOSED TO ORDINANCE, WHICH IS AN IMPORTANT STEP TOWARD REBUILDING TRUST. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS DARLING DEON. I AM A MEMBER LEADER WITH WORKER DEFENSE ACTION FUND. I'VE TAKEN ON MANY, I'VE TAKEN ON MANY ROLES ACROSS THE CITY BEYOND PHOTOGRAPHY, INCLUDING SUPPORTING WORK IN THE LEGAL FIELD, SUPPORTING BUSINESSES, BUILDING COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS. I AM A MOM, A SISTER, A FRIEND, A HELPER, AND A PROTECTOR AND PROUD DAUGHTER OF A DOMESTIC WORKER. I LIVE IN THE SOUTHWEST HOUSTON, DISTRICT J I'M HERE TO ASK YOU TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF PROP A. THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE ON COMMUNITY SAFETY AND IMMIGRATION INTRODUCED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS ALEJANDRA LINAS, EDWARD POLLARD [01:05:01] AND ABBY KAON. WE NEED TO ACT WITH THE SAME COURAGE IT TAKES FOR FAMILIES TO LIVE THEIR DAILY LIVES IN THE FACE OF UNCERTAINTY. THIS ISN'T JUST ABOUT IMMIGRANT FAMILIES, IT AFFECTS OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY. FEAR SPREADS. BUSINESS BUSINESSES ARE DISRUPTED, AND CHILDREN ARE LEFT WITH QUESTIONS THAT OFTEN GO UNANSWERED. HOUSTON CANNOT BE NEUTRAL. WE NEED MEANINGFUL ACTION THAT PROTECTS COMMUNITIES, ALLOWS FAMILIES AND BUSINESSES TO THRIVE AND CREATES HEALTHY ATMOSPHERE WHERE EVERYONE FEELS SAFE AND SUPPORTED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, YOUR TIME. OH, THANK YOU. VI VI FAM TERRY CHEN TO BE FOLLOWED BY MARK WADEL. GOOD EVENING COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'M TERRY CHEN. I'M A LIFELONG HOUSTONIAN RESIDENT OF DISTRICT H AND I'M THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZER WITH WOODY JUNTOS SERVING IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES. WE WERE ALL REALLY EXCITED WHEN COUNCIL MEMBERS SALINAS INTRODUCED THE ORIGINAL ORDINANCE THAT WOULD EMPOWER HBD TO NOT CALL ICE FOR FEDERAL ADMINISTRATIVE WARRANTS. AND THEN WITH WHIPLASH SPEED, THE MOST IMPACTFUL PIECE OF THE ORDINANCE WAS CUT DUE TO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S INTERPRETATION. THIS LEADS US TO UNDERSTAND THE CITY ATTORNEY IS ONLY BEING WHITMEYER AND HP D'S PUPPET BECAUSE THE OTHER MAJOR TEXAS CITIES HAVE PASSED THIS ORDINANCE WITH NO PUSHBACK OR REPERCUSSIONS. IT'S A LITTLE SUSPICIOUS THAT THE CITY ATTORNEY DOING WHIT MEYER'S BIDDING HAS A DIFFERING OPINION FROM THE MANY LEGAL EXPERTS THAT WORKED ON THE ORIGINAL ORDINANCE. I WANNA THANK COUNCIL MEMBERS, SELS POLLARD AND CAYMAN FOR ATTEMPTING TO KEEP OUR FAMILIES SAFE. BUT WE NEED ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO FIND THE COURAGE TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT AND TO KEEP US ALL SAFE. PASSING THIS ORDINANCE IS THE ABSOLUTE FLOOR. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU. UH, THANK YOU CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS MARK. I'M FROM, UH, UH, DISTRICT A AND I'VE COME TO TALK TO Y'ALL ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW. UH, I COME IN SUPPORT OF, UH, PROPOSITION A AND I'M ALSO COMING TO TALK ABOUT THE INACTION THAT'S HAPPENED IN THIS COUNCIL RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU TO THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE COME TO THIS ACTION. BUT WE, UH, BEHIND ME, THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN TALKING HAVE ALL COME FROM THE SAME PLACE, PEOPLE AS WORKERS, AND WE ARE TIRED OF THE STATUS QUO. PEOPLE WHO DO NOT FIGHT ARE ALLOWING THE STATUS QUO TO KEEP HAPPENING. WE ARE TIRED OF IT. US AS A WORKING CLASS ARE COMING TOGETHER TO TALK TO YOU AND SAY WE ARE TIRED OF GETTING ARRESTED FOR, FOR LOW LEVEL, UM, MARIJUANA OFFENSES. WE'RE TIRED OF, UH, GETTING PULLED OVER AND BEING TALKED TO. WE ARE TIRED OF IT. WE ARE FIGHTING AND WE ARE FIGHTING AND WE COME EVERY MONTH. WE'RE DOING ALL WE CAN. AND I I PRO I I AM IN SUPPORT OF PROPOSITION A THANK YOU RO ROAN EVANS. ROAN EVANS TO BE FOLLOWED BY LAURA CASTANEDO. HOW Y'ALL DOING? THANK YOU. CITY COUNCIL. MAYOR, FIRST I WANNA SAY, UM, I WANNA GIVE Y'ALL A SPECIAL THANKS. YOU KNOW, NORMALLY A LOT OF Y'ALL, IT LOOK LIKE Y'ALL DON'T BE PAYING ATTENTION OR LISTENING. BUT TODAY, YOU KNOW, LIKE I CAN ACTUALLY TELL LIKE YOU GUYS ARE ACTUALLY LISTENING. UM, I ALSO WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT AND A THANKS TO, UH, EDWARD POLLARD CAME IN AND A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO ALEJANDRA BECAUSE YOU ARE THE NEWLY ELECTED, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER AND YOU ALL UNDERSTAND THAT SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE AND IT NEEDS TO BE DONE TODAY. OUR UNDOCUMENTED POPULATION DO NOT DESERVE WHAT THEY ARE EXPERIENCING AT THE HANDS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OR ICE. THEY DO NOT DESERVE THE DETENTIONS, ESPECIALLY BEHIND NON-SAFETY TRAFFIC STOPS. AND THEY ESPECIALLY DON'T DESERVE DEPORTATION. BUT I ALSO WANT PEOPLE TO REMEMBER THAT AT THE SAME TIME, WE MOVING FORWARD TO FIGURE OUT A SOLUTION BECAUSE SOMETHING DO NEED TO BE DONE, WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO MOVE IN UNISON BECAUSE BLACK PEOPLE BEEN FIGHTING ON THE FRONT LINES SINCE THEY WEREN'T REPRESENTING EVERYBODY IN THEIR ISSUE. SO WHEN IT COME TIME TO SOLVE A PROBLEM, MAKE SURE YOU DO NOT CUT THE BLACK ISSUE OUT BECAUSE THEY ARE MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND I AM THEIRS [01:10:04] RASHAN, I, I KNOW IS ONE OF THE LEADERS OF PURE JUSTICE AND I JUST WANNA RECOGNIZE THE WORK OF PURE JUSTICE AND OF ADVOCATES THAT ARE CONTINUING TO ADVOCATE FOR ALL OF THE COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT HOUSTON. UM, AGAIN, WE HAVE A TON OF SPEAKERS, SO I'M NOT GONNA GO INTO A LOT OF THAT, BUT I DO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL ARE GETTING THE RECOGNITION FOR THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE BEHIND THE SCENES AS WELL. THANK YOU COUNCILMAN SHABA. THANK YOU MAYOR, AND CERTAINLY RASHAN. YOU KNOW, I REALLY APPRECIATE WHEN I SEE YOU AND WHEN YOU SPEAK. AND I ALSO WANNA POINT OUT THE GREAT WORK THAT YOU AND YOUR ORGANIZATION HAVE BEEN DOING, AND YOU ACTUALLY BROUGHT THE NON TRAFFIC SAFETY STOPS TO US PRIOR TO THIS. SO I, I HEAR YOU AND I WITH THEM COALITION, WE ALL WORKED TOGETHER VERY HARD. WHATEVER I SAW YOU AND JUMP THROUGH GROUP COME FORWARD BEFORE THIS HAPPENED. AND SO I, I THANK YOU AS ALWAYS FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION AND YOUR WORDS OF WISDOM. YES, SIR. SIR COUNCILMAN, I JUST WANNA VERY BRIEFLY SAY, RASHAN, AS YOU KNOW, KNOW IN OUR MANY CONVERSATIONS, I BELIEVE, AND MANY OF US BELIEVE THIS IS A BOTH AND SITUATION. SO LET'S WORK TOGETHER TO GET THIS PASSED AND WORK TOGETHER TO WORK ON NON-SAFETY TRAFFIC STOPS. LAURA CASTANEDA LARKIN BLACKWELL FROM PRAIRIE VIEW, TANGIE SMITH, CORETTA BROWN. NO, GIAN THOMAS. I'M HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY CECILIA FONTANO TO, OH, COME ON. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. UH, MY NAME. OH, EITHER ONE. OKAY. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS GIAN CHRISTOPHER THOMAS. I AM THE CEO AND FOUNDER OF POP PROTEST ORGANIZ AND PARTICIPATE. AND I'M HERE BECAUSE THE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT SHOULD BE ABOUT SAFETY AND NOT FEAR. IT SHOULD BE ABOUT PROTECTING PUBLIC AND NOT CREATING MORE DISTRUST BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PEOPLE. IT SERVES TOO MANY RESIDENTS, ESPECIALLY BLACK AND LATINOS AND LOW INCOME FAMILIES AND MIGRANT FAMILIES KNOW WHAT IT IS TO BE ANXIOUS AT A TRAFFIC STOP. WHAT SHOULD BE A ROUTINE QUICK PROCESS HAS BECOME A LARGER PROBLEM IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. PEOPLE ARE BEING DEPORTED, FAMILIES ARE BEING TORN APART. AND IT'S FOR Y'ALL, OUR CITY COUNCIL TO BE THAT FRONTLINE. THIS FEAR IS NOT IMAGINED. IT'S NATIONAL RESEARCH IS BEHIND IT, INCLUDING, UH, WORK FROM THE STANFORD OPEN, UH, POLICING PROJECT HAS SHOWN THAT BLACK DRIVERS ARE STOPPED AND SEARCHED MORE. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED THAN WHITE DRIVERS. THANK YOU. I COULDN'T FINISH MY STATEMENT, BUT I THINK Y'ALL GET THE CE CECILIA FONTANO. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. MY NAME IS CECILIA FAU. I AM HERE TO SUPPORT THE PRIORITIZING NON-SAFETY TRAFFIC STOPS FAR TOO MANY ELECTED OFFICIALS AND OTHERS TAKE BLACK PEOPLE FOR GRANTED. THEY CALL ON US TO STAND IN UNITY, TO FIGHT IN UNISON FOR EVERYONE'S ISSUE EXCEPT OUR VERY OWN TODAY. THIS MUST STOP. YET WHEN IT'S TIME TO ACT, OUR ISSUES ARE PUSHED ON. THE BLACK BURNER RELIEF IS NOT SELECTIVE. ALL COMMUNITIES NEED RELIEF EQUALLY. IF WE ARE SERIOUS ABOUT SOLVING THESE PROBLEMS, THEN WE MUST SOLVE THEM FOR EVERYONE. BLACK LATINO, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED TOGETHER. I THANK YOU ALL. [01:15:04] ARE YOU KENNETH? I'M KEN ROGERS. KENNETH ROGERS ALL. AND, UH, I'M NOT GONNA STATE THE OBVIOUS. UH, I THINK MY COLLEAGUES HAVE DONE THAT ALREADY. I WANT TO PULL ON YOUR HEARTSTRINGS. I WANT YOU TO TRY TO IMAGINE YEARS AGO WHEN YOU WERE NEWLY MARRIED, YOU HAD A TODDLER, YOUR FOCUS WAS ON A ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD, FOOD, TRANSPORTATION TO WORK, AND YOU HAVE THOSE THINGS, BUT ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU BACKED INTO A POLE AND YOU LOST YOUR TAILLIGHT. YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO REPAIR YOUR TAIL LIGHT. YOU GET STOPPED. YOU GET A TICKET. NOT ONLY CAN YOU NOT AFFORD TO REPAIR YOUR TAIL LIGHT, YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY THE TICKET. NOW YOU HAVE A WARRANT AND YOU'RE RIDING DIRTY AT THE SAME TIME. NOW YOU GET PICKED UP AND YOU WIND UP IN JAIL. THAT'S NOT THE PATHWAY THAT WE SHOULD BE PROVIDING. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED FOR THESE YOUNG PEOPLE. THANK YOU. USE YOUR HEART AND YOUR HEAD PLEASE. HOLD ON ONE SECOND. MS. WRIGHT COUNCIL. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU. KEN ROGERS, YOU KNOW, YOU AND YOUR WIFE. DOLORES HOL IS A VERY SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. LANITA ROBINSON, JOHN CAREER. YEAH. FIRST I'M GONNA SAY HELLO TO SALLY. TELL GEORGE I SAY HELLO. UH, I'M, UH, I JUST TURNED 74, UH, LAST WEEK. AND I'M HERE TO SUPPORT MY BROWN BROTHERS AND SISTERS. 'CAUSE WHAT'S HAPPENING TO THEM HAS BEEN HAPPENING TO BLACK PEOPLE FOR YEARS. I GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL IN 1970. I REMEMBER DRIVING A CAR WITH MY GIRLFRIEND AT 16 YEARS OLD, GETTING PULLED OVER. POLICE DIDN'T ASK FOR NO ID, NO WHERE YOU COMING FROM, WHERE YOU'RE GOING. I REMEMBER AS I GOT OLDER, COMING FROM RIVER OAKS, I'VE BEEN TO RIVER OAK FOR 26 YEARS DOING ALARMS, GOING DOWN FAIRVIEW. WE PULL OUT THIS STORE, WE GOING DOWN FAIRVIEW. I SAW THIS POLICE PASS ME. I LOOKED IN MY MIRROR. HE MADE A U-TURN. I ALREADY KNEW WHAT WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN. HE FOLLOWED US FOR LIKE SIX OR SEVEN WEEKS. IT WAS ME AND MY COWORKERS. FOUR OF US PULLED US OVER ON FANNING BY THEN HE HAD CALLED BACK UP AND YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. OKAY? WHEN LET, WHEN HE DIDN'T EVEN SAY COME UP TO, TO THE WINDOW, HE SAID, GET OUT THE CAR, COME TO THE BACK OF THE CAR. I SAID, WHAT ARE YOU PULLING ME OVER FOR? HE SAID, 'CAUSE YOUR STICKER IS OUT. I SAID, MY STICKERS ARE OUT. HE WALKED TO THE FRONT. MY STICKER WASN'T OUT. HE SAID, WELL, MY, MY LICENSE HAD EXPIRED ABOUT FOR, FOR ABOUT A MONTH. HE SAID, WELL, YOUR LICENSE EXPIRED. YOUR INS, I HAVE MY INSURANCE. THAT MEANS YOUR INSURANCE IS PROBABLY INVALID. I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A TICKET FOR INVALID INSURANCE. I GO TO COURT. OKAY? I I, I HAND THE JUDGE THE INSURANCE PAPERS. THE JUDGE SAID, WHY ARE YOU GIVING ME THIS? HE SAID, I SAID, WELL, HE TOLD ME HE WAS GIVING ME A TICKET FOR MY, MY INSURANCE WAS NO GOOD, BUT HE GAVE ME A TICKET FOR MY STICKER. THE JUDGE SAID, MAN, GET OUTTA HERE. I'M DISMISS. SO I'M SAYING THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS. OKAY, THANK YOU. IT'S HAPPENING TO MY BROWN BROTHERS AND SISTERS RIGHT NOW. AND I, I RESPECTFULLY POLICE, MY COUSIN WAS A POLICEMAN FOR 35 YEARS. I HAVE A A, ONE OF MY FRIENDS, MY MINISTER WAS A MEMBER OF THE FBI. SO I RESPECT LAW ENFORCEMENT. BUT, BUT YOU HAVE ROB PEOPLE THAT PULLING OVER PEOPLE JUST BECAUSE OF THE COLOR OF THEIR SKIN, NOT YOUR, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED, SIR. THANK YOU. THANK, THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL YOU SIR ELIZABETH ORTIZ. COULD YOU REPEAT THAT? OR ELIZABETH ORTIZ O HRTS TO BE FOLLOWED BY REBECCA SALE COUNSEL, UH, I'LL BE, UH, TRANSLATING FOR ELIZABETH MAYOR, [01:20:01] UH, THE MICROPHONE. MAYOR POINTER ORDER. WE, UM, RECEIVED SOME NEW TECHNOLOGY TO, UM, WORK ON OUR TRANSLATION SERVICE. WOULD YOU LET US TEST IT OUT AND NOT TRANSLATE? SO IF SHE CAN JUST SPEAK IN SPANISH, WE CAN TEST THE TECHNOLOGY TO SEE IF IT WORKS FOR FUTURE REFERENCE. WILL THE, WILL THE COUNCIL STILL BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND HER TESTIMONY? THAT'S WHAT I, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO TEST OUT. AND Y'ALL WILL BE ABLE TO LIKE READ THE SCRIPT. SO WHEN SHE SPEAKS IN SPANISH, IT'S SUPPOSED TO TRANSLATE IN ENGLISH ON OUR SCREEN. SO I WANNA TEST IT OUT WITHOUT YOUR TRANSLATION. OKAY. OKAY. OKAY. SO JUST GO AHEAD AND, OKAY. WHY DON'T YOU, UH, WHY DON'T YOU NOT LOOK AT IT UH, GO AHEAD. GO AHEAD AND, AND AS THE MAYOR LETTER TEST IT, UH, APPARENTLY WORKS FOR US, BUT WHY DON'T YOU GO AHEAD AND DO IT, UH, SO OUR GUESTS CAN HEAR. WHAT DID Y'ALL GET? IT WAS TRANSPIRED. OKAY. I I FEEL LIKE MAYOR, UM, I, I THINK THAT AS WE START USING THIS SERVICE THAT WE NEED, THE CLOSED CAPTION SHOULD ALSO BE TRANSLATED. YEAH, IT'S A PILOT PROJECT. YEAH. YEAH. YOU, YOU'RE CORRECT. WE'LL DO IT THERE FOR THE GUEST, BUT WHY DON'T YOU GO AHEAD. OKAY. HELLO, MY NAME IS ELIZABETH, A MEMBER OF WORKERS' DEFENSE, AND I LIVE IN DISTRICT A ON OCTOBER 7TH LAST YEAR, COUNTY SHERIFF'S ARRESTED MY HUSBAND LOUISE, OUTSIDE, OUTSIDE OF OUR APARTMENT. THEY BEAT HIM BREAKING THREE OF HIS RIBS AND HIS NOSE. HE'S STILL, HE'S STILL IN DETENTION FOR FIVE MONTHS UNDER HORRIBLE CONDITIONS. AND HE HAS A CLEAN RECORD. I LOST MY JOB AFTERWARDS. THEY TOOK MY CAR. I, I MOVED OUT OF MY APARTMENT AND I'VE ONLY BEEN ABLE TO SURVIVE BY SELLING FOOD I CAN BARELY AFFORD TO TALK TO, TO LUIS. EVEN ONCE A WEEK. FINDING A LAWYER FOR LUIS COSTS THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. ON TOP OF THAT LUIS'S BROTHER DIED WITHOUT SEEING HIM WHILE HE'S IN JAIL. LUIS IS THE KIND OF PERSON WHO WOULD TAKE FOOD FROM OUT OF HIS OWN HANDS TO GIVE IT TO SOMEONE ELSE. I ASK OF YOU, WHAT WOULD YOU DO IN MY SITUATION? IF SOMETHING HAPPENED TO THE PERSON YOU LOVE, YOUR FAMILY MEMBER, WHAT WOULDN'T YOU DO FOR THEM? WHAT IS WITHIN YOUR POWER? EVEN THOUGH HE WAS ARRESTED BY THE COUNTY, YOU STILL HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO CREATE A CITY FREE FROM FEAR. WHAT WE'RE FACING DOESN'T FALL UNDER YOUR JURISDICTION. WHAT WE'RE FACING FALLS UNDER YOUR JURISDICTION AND IT'S THE LEAST YOU CAN DO. DO NOT COOPERATE WITH IMMIGRATION IN ANY WAY, IN ANY CAPACITY. DO NOT HONOR IMMIGRATION ORDERS THAT AREN'T EVIDENCE OF A CRIME, NOR ARE THEY EV THE SAME AS A JUDICIAL WARRANT. THANK YOU. [01:25:04] REBECCA SALE. I'M TRYING TO SEE IF SHE NO. DANNY HERNANDEZ TO BE FOLLOWED BY JOCELYN SOTO. GOOD EVENING COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS DANNY HERNANDEZ AND I AM CURRENTLY AN ELECTED TRUSTEE FOR HISD. I LIVE IN DISTRICT I AND I AM ALSO THE PRESIDENT OF THE EAST LAWNDALE CIVIC ASSOCIATION. I'M HERE TO SAY THAT AS THE CIVIC ASSOCIATION WE SUPPORT PROP A. I WANT TO THANK THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS SELENA FOR WRITING THE PROPOSITION AND POLLARD AND CAYMAN FOR SUPPORTING THE PROPOSITION AND THE ORDINANCE. TRUST AND CONFIDENCE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT IS NOT OPTIONAL. THEY ARE THE FOUNDATION OF PUBLIC SAFETY. WHEN PEOPLE ARE AFRAID OF THE POLICE, THEY DO NOT REPORT CRIMES. THEY DO NOT ASK FOR HELP, AND THEY DO NOT COME FORWARD WHEN SOMETHING IS WRONG. FEAR DOES NOT MAKE OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND OUR COMMUNITIES SAFER. IT ISOLATES PEOPLE, IT WEAKENS COMMUNITIES AND MAKES EFFECTIVE POLICING HARDER FOR EVERYONE. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THAT WAS A THREE MINUTE, NO MA'AM. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER POND HAS A PROCEDURAL COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. HI Y'ALL. THANK YOU MAYOR. HMM. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO, UM, CALL BACK UP TANGY SMITH AFTER THIS SPEAKER. SECOND TANGIE SMITH. YEAH. SAY YES. THOSE . MOTION PASSES. HI, MY NAME IS JOCELYN SOTO AND I AM HERE TO ASK THIS COUNCIL TO VOTE YES TO PROP A AND TO STOP COLLABORATIONS WITH ICE. ICE IS A MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY BILL ON THE EXPLOITATION OF IMMIGRANTS. THEY CAUSE FEAR IN OUR COMMUNITIES, DO NOT FOLLOW THE RULES OF LAW AND SERVE THE GOALS OF A FASCIST REGIME. ADDITIONALLY, ICE HAS BUILT A CONCENTRATION CAMP IN OUR BACKYARD, ONE THAT IS HOLDING HUNDREDS OF INNOCENT CIVILIANS UNDER EXTREME CONDITIONS THAT NO PERSON IS BUILT TO WITHSTAND. LASTLY, OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY MAKES UP A QUARTER OF THE CITY'S POPULATION. HOUSTON WAS BUILT BY AND STILL RUNS ON THE POWER OF IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES. I IMPLORE YOU AS OUR REPRESENTATIVES TO END ALL CONTRACTS WITH ICE, TO STAND UP TO FASCIST LEADERS AND TO CONSIDER HOW YOU WILL BE REMEMBERED IN HISTORY. YOU'LL EITHER BE CHAMPIONS OF THE PEOPLE OR COMPLICIT IN A FASCIST REGIME. YOU DECIDE, THANK YOU. YES. TANGIE SMITH. YES. TO BE FOLLOWED BY JAN SOUTHERN. GOOD EVENING COUNSEL. EVENING. MY NAME IS TANGIE SMITH. I'M A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN. I HAVE NOT BEEN AFRAID OF THE POLICE UNTIL THE LAST 20 YEARS. MICROPHONE. WANT ME TO PULL IT DOWN? OKAY. WHAT ABOUT NOW? OKAY. I HAVE NOT BEEN AFRAID OF THE POLICE UNTIL THE LAST 20 YEARS. I GOT PULLED OVER IN A TRAFFIC STOP AND I WAS PROFILED BECAUSE I WAS A AFRICAN AMERICAN. I REALLY BELIEVE THAT THE POLICIES HAVE TO CHANGE. I REALLY BELIEVE THAT IF IT WAS NOT FOR ANOTHER OFFICER, WITH THAT OFFICER AND SAW MY WHEELCHAIR, THE GUY WAS GONNA ASK ME TO GET OUT OF MY CAR, THERE WAS NO WAY I WAS GONNA BE ABLE TO DO IT IN A TIMELY FASHION. I'M JUST ASKING YOU GUYS TO ACTUALLY REDO THE POLICIES AND STOP THE PROFILING BECAUSE IT'S NOT RIGHT. WE ARE ALLOW ABIDING CITIZENS AND WE SHOULD NOT BE JUDGED ACCORDING TO HOW WE LOOK. BUT BECAUSE IF IN FACT WE HAVE DONE SOMETHING WRONG BECAUSE MY TAG WAS EXPIRED AND I HAD THE INFORMATION, THE GUY RAN IT AND HE TOLD ME, MA'AM, YOU HAVE TO GO BACK TO KROGER BECAUSE THEY DID NOT PUT THE INFORMATION IN THE SY IN THE SYSTEM CORRECTLY. THAT'S NOT MY FAULT. I HAVE WHAT YOU ASKED FOR. DON'T PROFILE ME. 'CAUSE I AM A CITIZEN. I'M A LAW AB, A LAW ABIDING CITIZEN, AND THAT'S WHAT I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU JAN SOUTHERN TO BE FOLLOWED BY CARLOS LAR. GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU THIS EVENING. MY NAME IS JAN SOUTHERN. I'M HERE TO OPPOSE PROPOSITION A [01:30:01] AS PUT FORWARD BY THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, IN AN EFFORT TO INSTALL SANCTUARY CITY POLICIES IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. LOCAL LAW, UH, ENFORCEMENT AND FEDERAL IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES MUST WORK TOGETHER IN A CLEAR AND LAWFUL WAY TO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITIES RATHER THAN BEING DISCOURAGED FROM WORKING WITH ONE ANOTHER AS PROPOSED IN PROPOSITION A. UH, I APOLOGIZE TO YOU FOR SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE TOWARDS YOU. I THINK YOU DO YOUR JOB WELL. YOU DO IT AS WELL AS YOU CAN. WE ARE ASKING, UH, OUR POLICE OFFICERS TO MAKE DECISIONS ON THE FLY. I THINK THAT'S NOT WHAT WE WANT THEM TO DO. WE HAVE LAWS ON THE BOOKS THAT NEED TO BE ENFORCED AND, UM, I'M ENCOURAGING YOU TO DECLINE PROPOSITION A BECAUSE THEY'RE ASKING YOU TO NOT ENFORCE THOSE LAWS. THANK YOU CARLOS TO BE FOLLOWED BY JOE BETA CASANOVA. WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS CARLOS. I AM A LOCAL PASTOR, LIVING AND SERVING IN HOUSTON'S HISTORIC RIO. UM, THE STORIES WE ARE HEARING, UH, AS LOCAL PASTORS ACROSS THE, UH, THE CITY AND IMMIGRANT HISPANIC CHURCHES ARE HEARTBREAKING AND ALARMING TO SAY THE LEAST. WE'VE SEEN FAITHFUL CHURCH MEMBERS AND LEADERS SEPARATED FROM THEIR FAMILIES, SEPARATED FROM THEIR CHILDREN. I BELIEVE IT'S INCUMBENT UPON YOU, MAYOR AND UH, CITY COUNCIL, TO ASK YOURSELVES, WILL WE MAKE THE VOTE NECESSARY TO FURTHER PROTECT OUR MOST VULNERABLE HOUSTON FAMILIES? OR WILL WE RETREAT INTO FEAR OURSELVES? FEAR OF LOSING FUNDING, FEAR OF POKING THE BEAR, WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE. WANNA TELL YOU A QUICK STORY WITH THE LAST FEW SECONDS I HAVE LEFT? QUEEN ESTHER IN THE OLD TESTAMENT RISKED HER LIFE BY APPROACHING THE KING UNSU SUMMONED TO STOP THE DESTRUCTION OF HER PEOPLE. SHE SPOKE TRUTH TO POWER, LEADING TO THE PROTECTION AND SALVATION OF HER PEOPLE PUTTING HERSELF ON THE LINE. WHO KNOWS? MAYBE GOD HAS PLACED YOU IN YOUR POSITION FOR SUCH A TIME AS YOUR TIME HAS AS THIS VOTE FOR PROPOSITION. A GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M ONE OF THOSE SENIOR SOCIAL SERVICES COORDINATORS FOR KIDS IN NEED OF DEFENSE THAT'S KIND HERE IN THE HOUSTON FIELD. OFFICE KIND WORKS TO PROTECT UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN BY PROVIDING HOLISTIC, LEGAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT, HELPING IMMIGRANT YOUTH RECOVERING FROM TRAUMA, STABILIZING THEIR LIVES AND SAFETY SAFELY NAVIGATING COMPLEX SYSTEMS. EVERY DAY WE SEE HOW FEAR OF IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT HARMS CHILDREN. MANY OF YOUNG PEOPLE WE SERVE COME TO THIS COM COUNTRY, HOPEFUL, EXCITED FOR A CHANCE TO LEARN, MAKE FRIENDS, AND BUILD A FUTURE. BUT THE LENGTH BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY BLURRY. SPECIFICALLY, WHEN YOUNG PEOPLE SEE SECURITY OR POLICE PRESENCE AT OR AROUND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, THOSE SITUATIONS SPARK FEAR AND THEIR HOPES IS CUT SHORT. THEY FORCE, THEY'RE FORCED TO MAKE AN IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE, CONTINUING PURSUING THEIR EDUCATION OR WITHDRAWING OUT OF FEAR OF ARREST, DETENTION OR FAMILY SEPARATIONS. WE NEED STRONG TRUST BASED RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN COMMUNITIES AND LAW ENFORCEMENT. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU, MAYOR HERRERA TO BE FOLLOWED BY WAN WYNN. MY NAME IS RA AND I'M A SENIOR SOCIAL SERVICE COORDINATOR WITH KIDS IN OF DEFENSE AT THE HOUSTON FIELD OFFICE. IN MY WORK, I SEE HOW THAT TRUST IS UNDERMINED WHEN IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT BECOMES ENTANGLED IN EVERYDAY WITH EVERYDAY LIFE. I'VE HAD CHILD CLIENTS FORCED INTO CAREGIVER ROLES FOR YOUNGER SIBLINGS AFTER PARENTS WERE DETAINED DURING ROUTINE MOMENTS LIKE STOPPING AT THE GROCERY STORE TO BUY MILK OR TRAVELING TO A MEDICAL APPOINTMENT. I'VE ALSO WORKED WITH CHILDREN WHO HESITATE TO REPORT BULLYING OR SEEK HELP FROM SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS BECAUSE THEY FEAR SCHOOL POLICE WILL INVOLVE ICE INSTEAD OF REACHING OUT, THEY STAY SILENT. THE SILENCE HAS REAL CONSEQUENCES WHEN FAMILIES THAT CONTACT WITH LAW. WHEN FAMILIES FEAR THAT CONTACT WITH LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT COULD LEAD TO DETENTION OR DEPORTATION, THEY'RE LESS, FAR LESS LIKELY TO REPORT CRIMES, COOPERATE AS WITNESS OR ASK FOR HELP WHEN CHILDREN ARE YOUR TIME IS EXPIRED. THANK YOU [01:35:03] WAN WYNN TO BE FOLLOWED BY SCOTT SINGLETON. HI EVERYONE. UM, THIS MEETING HAS MORE ATTENDANCE THAN THE LAST ONE. SO I'D LIKE TO RECOUNT SOME OF THE EVENTS OF THE LAST ONE. IT WAS AFTER THE SESSION WHERE HALF MOST OF THE COUNCIL WALKED OUT. DESPITE MAYOR WHITMEYER SKIPPING HALF OF THE SPEAKERS, HE'S, I GUESS, DECIDING TO PLAY NICER THIS TIME. I GUESS IT'S SOME TYPE OF APOLOGY TOUR MEANT TO DISPEL US FROM THE FAILURES THAT HE'S HAD AS A MAYOR. SO AFTER THAT SESSION, THE PROCEEDING SESSION, THE MAYOR BLOCK HATED THE ENTIRE TERRACE OFF AND FORCED EVERYBODY THROUGH A SIDE LANE. I'M NOT SURE IF ANYBODY WAS AWARE. I'M NOT SURE IF ANYBODY ON CITY COUNCIL WAS AWARE OR IS HOLDING THEM ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS. UM, IT'S PROBABLY BECAUSE YOU DON'T GO IN THE SAME WAY AS US. YOU'RE PROBABLY BETTER THAN US. THAT'S WHY. UM, WHAT THEN PROCEEDED TO HAPPEN DURING THE MEETING IS THAT THE COUNCIL DID NOT ALLOW EVERYONE TO CLAP. SO WHILE PEOPLE ARE BEING KIDNAPPED, CHILDREN ARE LOCKED IN CAGES. WE WERE SUPPOSED TO DO THIS. WHAT IS THAT? WHAT IS THAT? AND SO THE REASON WHY WE'RE HERE IS NOT BECAUSE OF THE PROPOSITION. THE TWO REMEDIES IN THE PROPOSITION ARE BECAUSE OF WHAT THE MAYOR HAS DONE. HE'S VIOLATED THE FOURTH AMENDMENT AND HE'S UNDERMINED TRANSPARENCY IN THE CITY. THAT'S WHAT THOSE TWO ARE ADDRESSING. YOUR YOUR TIME IS YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. GLAD TO SEE Y'ALL LOVE EVENING SESSION. PEOPLE MORE ELOQUENT THAN I HAVE BEEN UP TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THE SALINAS CAYMAN EMPOWERED WARNING AND IT'S, I'M NOT GONNA BE THE LAST IF ICE ICE'S EXTRA JUDICIAL OPPRESSION ISN'T ENOUGH TO MEET STEPHEN MILLER'S QUOTAS. WHY DOES THE CITY FEEL OBLIGED TO HAVE HPD HELP ICE WITH APOLOGIES TO NATIVE AMERICANS. WE'RE ALL FROM SOMEPLACE ELSE. HOUSTON, AS MUCH AS ANYWHERE HAS BENEFITED FROM AND DEPENDS ON ITS IMMIGRANTS. IF DALLAS CAN DO THE RIGHT THING, WHY CAN'T WE? THANK YOU OSVALDO OSVALDO LOPEZ DAVIS UZMAN TO BE FOLLOWED BY NORMA GONZALEZ. HI, GOOD EVENING. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS CAYMAN AND POLLARD, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS ORDINANCE. 'CAUSE LEMME TELL YOU, THIS POLICY IS A HELL OF A LOT BETTER THAN THE MAYOR'S CURRENT DOMINO'S PIZZA ASS ICE POLICY ARRIVES IN 30 MINUTES AND THEY'RE FREE MAYOR PAPA JOHN WHITMEYER. ANYWAY, I'D LIKE TO DIRECT THE REST OF MY SPEECH TO ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS ON THE FENCE ABOUT VOTING. YES, VOTING TO PROTECT IMMIGRANT RESIDENTS IN A COUNTY WITH THE SECOND MOST IMMIGRANTS IN THE NATION WILL NOT HARM YOUR CAREER, EXCEPT IF YOU VOTE NO. JUST LIKE HOW VOTING AGAINST HERO 10 YEARS AGO COST DWIGHT BOYKINS HIS RETURN TO THE HORSE SHOE, AMONG OTHER THINGS, UH, AND ESPECIALLY IF YOU WON YOUR ELECTION BY SAY, 338 VOTES OR 2057 VOTES, JUST RANDOM NUMBERS. SO IF YOU'RE UP FOR REELECTION NEXT YEAR, BE PREPARED FOR BIG GLOSSY MAILERS WITH THE WORDS COUNCIL MEMBER YOUR NAME HERE VOTED TO PROTECT ICE VOTED AGAINST IMMIGRANTS. IF YOU WON'T VOTE YES OUT OF A SENSE OF HUMANITY, CHALK IT UP TO POLITICAL SURVIVAL BECAUSE VOTING, YO VOTING NO WILL HAVE SOMEONE ELSE IN YOUR SEAT. IN 2028, WE YOUR CONSTITUENTS, IMMIGRANTS AND THEIR CHILDREN AND RELATIVES AND FRIENDS BECAUSE THE NEIGHBORS WILL SEE TO IT. NORM, NORMA GONZALEZ, NORMA GONZALEZ, SANDRA PETERS, SMU ALI MASI TO BE FOLLOWED BY GILDA GON. HELLO, UH, MY NAME IS ALI ALI MASI, A FORMER, A REFUGEE AND NOW A PROUD CITIZEN GRASSROOTS ORGANIZER FROM UH, CWS. LAST SEPTEMBER, I ORGANIZED, UH, MEETING WITH POLLARD AND A CITY COUNCIL TIFFANY ABOUT THIS CASE BECAUSE WE SAW IT COMING LAST NOVEMBER, MY BROTHER-IN-LAW GOT ARRESTED FOR A TAIL BROKEN LIGHT THAT LEADING HIM FOR FOUR MONTH IN ICE DETENTION THAT COST US $17,000 [01:40:01] FOR BOND TO RELEASE HIM ACROSS HOUSTON. FAMILIES ARE LOSING THEIR SENSE OF FAITH AND SECURITY AND SAFETY. BUT TONIGHT WITH HOPE, WE LECTURE YOU TO VOTE AND TO PROTECT THE COMMUNITY, AND THAT'S WHAT WE HOPE FOR. THANK YOU GILDA BAYGON TO BE FOLLOWED BY BARRETT MCNABB. MAYOR. COUNSEL, THIS IS NOT A QUESTION OF LOVE VERSUS HATE OR WHAT NEIGHBORHOOD YOU'RE FROM, WHAT COLOR YOU ARE, WHAT YOUR BACKGROUND IS. IT'S A QUESTION OF ENFORCING THE LAW AND NO ONE IN THIS ROOM, NONE BACK THERE. AND NONE OF YOU HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DECIDE WHICH LAWS TO ENFORCE AND WHICH LAWS TO IGNORE. AND YOU KNOW, THIS IS A FEDERAL LAW. YOU DO NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO SUPERSEDE FEDERAL LAW. AND WHEN YOU TRY IT, YOU CAUSE CAN YOU ASK THEM PLEASE TO LET ME SPEAK? OH LORD. WHEN YOU INTERFERE, YOU CAUSE CONFUSION. YOU CAUSE LESS LAW ENFORCEMENT. WE'VE SEEN CITIES AS RECENTLY AS THE LAST WEEK AND A HALF WHERE A 18-YEAR-OLD LOYOLA UNIVERSITY FRESHMAN WAS MURDERED AS SHE TRIED TO RUN AWAY FROM A VENEZUELAN IMMIGRANT WHO HAD BEEN CAT CAUGHT TWICE AND RELEASED. WE DON'T WANT THAT IN HOUSTON UNLESS THERE WAS SOME KIND OF MASSIVE VOTER FRAUD. THE PEOPLE WHO ELECTED YOU WERE US CITIZENS, YOU SERVED US CITIZENS, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THAT'S WHO YOU'RE HERE TO SERVE. I ASK YOU YOUR TIME HAS PLEASE DO NOT ADOPT PROPOSITION A BARRETT BARRETT MCNABB BARRETT MCNABB KING CHILD WAYNE FROM COLLEGE STATION TO BE FOLLOWED BY SHAZA BRANCH. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS PENIA, A MASTER'S STUDENT IN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE AT TEXAS A AND M. THERE'S AN URGENT DEMAND FOR INVESTING IN, UH, GENIUS SYSTEM IN VULNERABLE, VULNERABLE NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, IN , FOR EXAMPLE, A NORTHEAST, UH, NEIGHBORHOODS IN A NEIGHBORHOOD IN NORTHEAST HOUSTON. UM, PUTIN SOURCES ARE EVERYWHERE AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND EVEN A VERY MILD FLOOD CAN BRING CONTAMINATIONS AROUND ACROSS THE NEIGHBORHOODS. SO OVER 50% OF HOUSEHOLDS ARE UNDER THE EXPOSURE OF LADS AND IN SET, YES, THE AVERAGE LIFE EXPECTANCY IS 11 YEARS SHORTER THAN THE EV UH, THE HOUSTON AVERAGE. SO INVESTING IN J IS NOT ONLY ABOUT STORM WATER MANAGEMENT, BUT UM, PUBLIC HEALTH, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, AND THE ECO CIVIL RIGHTS TO EVERY SINGLE HOUSTONIAN. THANK YOU. IT IS SHAZA BRANCH MITCHELL COLLINS TO BE FOLLOWED BY ERIC GONZALEZ. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS MITCHELL COLLINS. I'M A LIFELONG HOUSTONIAN AND CURRENT RESIDENT OF DISTRICT H. ABOUT 20 YEARS AGO, OUR STREET IN THE EAST END WAS UPDATED WITH NEW DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT ENDED UP KEEPING US AND OUR NEIGHBORS SAFE FROM FLOODING DURING HARVEY. WE ARE EXTREMELY GRATEFUL FOR THIS AND GLAD TO SAY THAT THERE HAVEN'T BEEN ANY FLOODING ISSUES ON OUR STREET SINCE. I WISH THE SAME FOR THE REST OF MY NEIGHBORS IN SECOND WARD AND THIRD WARD AND FIFTH WARD. AND FOR ANYONE IN THIS CITY WHO LIVES ON A DISH LINE STREET THAT FLOODS EVERY TIME THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER EVENT. PERSONALLY, I BELIEVE EVERY HOUSTONIAN DESERVES TO BE ABLE TO FEEL SAFE AND DESERVES THE SAME LEVEL OF PROTECTION AGAINST FLOODING. MANY OF YOU IN YOUR CAMPAIGNS FOR THE OFFICES THAT YOU NOW HOLD MADE PROMISES TO KEEP HOUSTON SAFE. IF YOU FAIL TO INVEST IN INFRASTRUCTURE THERE WILL HELP PROTECT THE MOST IMPACTED AND MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES FROM FLOODING. YOU HAVE FAILED IN YOUR DUTY TO KEEP US ALL SAFE AND YOU WILL HAVE FAILED TO MEET THE PROMISES YOU CAMPAIGNED ON. WE LEAVE AN INCREASINGLY FLOOD PRONE CITY. FAILURE TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM WILL ONLY MAKE IT MORE DANGEROUS. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. I ASK THAT YOU DO YOUR DUTY AND FULLY FUND THE DITCH REASSESSMENT PROGRAM WITH 45 MILLION IN THE FY 2027 BUDGET. THANK YOU. [01:45:01] UH, HELLO. UH, MY NAME IS ERIC GONZALEZ. UH, I'M A WORKER, STUDENT AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZER AND DISTRICT F I'M HERE TODAY IN SUPPORT OF FLOOD INFRASTRUCTURE AND TO ASK THAT THE DITCH REESTABLISHMENT PROGRAM BE FULLY FUNDED IN THE 2027 FISCAL BUDGET. I'VE SEEN FAR TOO MANY FAMILIES, PARTICULARLY THOSE IN DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES BEING AT THE FOREFRONT OF EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS THAT WE AS A CITY SIMPLY WEREN'T PREPARED FOR. BUT IT'S SIMPLY NOT JUST EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS THAT IMPACT US. WE'VE SEEN HOW SMALL RAIN, UH, EVENTS, UH, CAN, UH, FLOOD THE STREETS AND SIDEWALKS. UM, AND THIS ISN'T JUST DANGEROUS FOR DRIVERS, BUT MADE SIDEWALKS INTRO IRREVERSIBLE FOR, UH, PEDESTRIANS, YOU JUST LITERALLY CAN'T PASS SOMETIMES. UM, WE CAN'T CONTROL THESE WEATHER EVENTS, BUT AS A CITY, AS PROSPEROUS AS HOUSTON, WE DEFINITELY CAN INVEST IN INFRASTRUCTURE THAT PREPARES US FOR THEM. OUR CITIZENS DESERVE TO FEEL SAFE AND SECURE IN THEIR HOMES. AND I JUST WANT TO ADD THIS AS ALSO EXTENDS TO HPD COLLABORATION WITH ICE, WHICH I URGE YOU TO VOTE AGAINST. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS? YES. I'D LIKE TO ADD NICK VAUGHN TO THE END OF THE ONE MINUTE LIST. SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAME WILL PASS. OKAY. YEAH. MADISON HESSER. YES. HELLO, MY NAME IS MADISON HESSER. I'M A SENIOR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE STUDENT AT TEXAS A AND M UNIVERSITY. FOR MY CAPSTONE PROJECT, WE WERE WORKING WITH TEXAS TARGET COMMUNITIES TO WORK WITH A NEIGHBORHOOD CALLED CGAS. AND WHEN WE WENT DOWN THERE, SOMETHING WE NOTICED IMMEDIATELY THAT THE FLOOD INFRASTRUCTURE WAS NOT SUFFICIENT. IT WAS NOT. WHAT WE HAD BEEN TAUGHT WAS UP TO STANDARD AND CODE FOR AREAS THAT WERE AT RISK FOR FLOOD EVENTS. IT IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED ON. THE PEOPLE IN SGAS ESPECIALLY ALREADY DEAL WITH SO MANY HEALTH ISSUES. THEIR SOIL IS FLOODED WITH LEAD, XYLENE, ARSENIC, AND CREOSOTE, WHICH IS CAUSING SIGNIFICANT HEALTH ISSUES. WHEN THIS FLOODING EVENT HAPPENS, THERE IS GOING TO BE ALL SORTS OF CONTAMINANTS FLUSHED INTO PEOPLE'S HOUSES. THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO COME AWAY FROM THAT EVENT HEALTHY. AND SO I CALL ON THE CITY COUNCIL TONIGHT TO LOOK INTO THE DITCH REESTABLISHMENT PROGRAM SO THAT YOU CAN FULLY FUND THE REPAIR OF THESE SWALES SO THAT THEY CAN BE UP TO CODE SO THAT THE PEOPLE IN ALL THESE COMMUNITIES CAN HAVE THE SAME ACCESS AND EQUITY FOR FLOOD INFRASTRUCTURE THAT THE REST OF THE PEOPLE NEED. THANK YOU. HAVE A GOOD EVENING. MY, MY ONE DANA JONES. MA'S HERE. MA'S HERE. OKAY. MY WANT TO BE FOLLOWED BY DANA JONES. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY. UH, MY NAME IS . UH, I'M LIVING BY THE SHOP TOWNS AREA AND UH, I AM NOT A NATIVE AMERICAN, SO MY LANGUAGE PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT ACCENT. I'M SORRY FOR THAT. HOWEVER, MY CONCERN IS THE FLOOD ISSUES IN THE HOUSTON AREA, MAINLY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UH, I AM VISUALLY IMPAIRED, HOWEVER, I'M NOT, I'M NOT DEAF. I STILL CAN HEAR AND I CAN OBSERVE MY OTHER SENSES. AND I FOUND THAT, UH, VOTING IS A BIG ISSUE IN THE, IN OUR CITY ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE IN THE NORTHEAST AREA ALSO IN MY AREA AS WELL. AND, UM, AFTER MAJOR CRISIS FLOODING AND I FOUND THAT THERE ARE PLACES THAT, UH, WE PEOPLE AND DEAL WITH THE FLOODING ISSUES. SO I BELIEVE THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON, YOUR YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. YEAH, THANK YOU. SHOULD COMMIT THEIR, UH, EFFORT TO HELP US TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THANK YOU. DANA JONES TO BE FOLLOWED BY JAMES JONES. HELLO, MY NAME IS DANA JONES AND I LIVE IN DISTRICT EIGHT. MANY OF MY FLOODING IS A VERY SERIOUS AND ONGOING ISSUE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. MANY OF MY, UM, OF THE PEOPLE IN MY COMMUNITY HAVE MOVED OUT SIMPLY OUT OF FEAR OF THEIR FAMILY BEING TARGETED. [01:50:01] THIS YEAR, COUNCIL VOTED TO TAKE $30 MILLION FROM THE DRAINAGE FUND AND REDIRECTED TOWARD REMOVING DANGEROUS BUILDING. I UNDERSTAND THE NEED TO ADDRESS THE UNSAFE STRUCTURES, BUT I WANNA HIGHLIGHT CRITICAL CONCERNS OF THE PEOPLE FLOODING, DRAINAGE AND HOUSING. THE WORKING POOR SENIORS AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN OUR COMMUNITIES ARE NOT ASKING FOR LUXURIES. THEY'RE SIMPLY TRYING TO SURVIVE YOU. OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS NEED TO HEAR THE VOICES OF THE PEOPLE AND RESPOND TO WHAT THEY ARE TELLING YOU WHAT THEY NEED. I HOPE THIS YEAR'S BUDGET WILL INCLUDE THE PUBLIC'S NEEDS AND NOT THE DESIRES OF THE FEW. THE MONEY ALLOCATED FOR SPECIFIC THINGS SHOULD GO WHERE IT'S DESIGNATED FIRE. YOUR TIME HAS MONEY SHOULD BE PUT TOWARDS THIS. I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE HELP THAT I'VE GOTTEN, BUT THE LARGER DRAINER, THE LARGER PROBLEM IS DRAINAGE. WE NEED TO, TO ADDRESS THE REAL LONG TERM SOLUTIONS AND THE FLOODING IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, NOT JUST TEMPORARY FIXES. I WANT TO END WITH A QUOTE FROM THE, UH, FROM MARVIN LER. IT'S HELL TO BE POOR. HELLO, HOW Y'ALL DOING TODAY? MY NAME IS JAMES JONES. I REPRESENT FOR GOD AND OUR GOD CREATIONS. I GOT A SOLUTION FOR ALL THESE PROBLEMS AND I'M READY TO STOP ICING THIS TRACKS. YOU KNOW, WE GOTTA BRING THE TRUTH TO REALITY AND THIS WORLD BEEN LIVING ON A LOT OF LIES AND AND FOOLISHNESS. AND I GOT A SOLUTION FOR ALL THE FOOLISHNESS THAT'S GOING ON IN ALL THE DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES. WITH MY CITY CLEAN UP. I STARTED WARM WITH TURNER AND I MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND SO NOW IT'S TIME TO WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE. AND THANK YOU. AND Y'ALL HAVE A BLESSED DAY. TRACY HAMLIN TO BE FOLLOWED BY ALI ALI KAHN. UH, MAYOR COUNCIL. MY NAME IS TRACY HAMLIN. I LIVE IN DISTRICT. I, UH, FIRST OFF, I SUPPORT LIMITING NON-SAFETY TRAFFIC STOPS. UH, THAT SAID, FOR YEARS RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN TOLD AUSTERITY IS NECESSARY, BUT IN PRACTICE IT'S LEFT OUR CITY UNDERSTAFFED AND STRUGGLING TO KEEP UP WITH BASIC SERVICES. HIRING FREEZES FOR CITY WORKERS ARE NOT A NEUTRAL BUDGET DECISION. THEY DIRECTLY IMPACT SERVICE QUALITY WHEN DEPARTMENTS LACK SUFFICIENT STAFF RESPONSE TIME. SLOW MAINTENANCE IS DELAYED AND SMALL ISSUES GROW INTO LARGER MORE EXPENSIVE PROBLEMS. LIFTING THE HIRING FREEZES IS NOT A LUXURY. IT IS ESSENTIAL TO MAINTAINING RELIABLE SERVICES AND ENSURING OUR CITY CAN MEET THE NEEDS OF ITS RESIDENTS. TONIGHT I'M ASKING FOR CONCRETE ACTION AND AUSTERITY BUDGETING THAT UNDERMINES ESSENTIAL SERVICES. LIFT THE HIRING, FREEZES AND RESTORE FULL STAFFING ACROSS THE DEPARTMENTS. THESE ARE NOT RADICAL DEMANDS THAT THE MINIMUM STANDARD FOR RESPONSIBLE GOVERNANCE. THE PEOPLE OF THIS CITY ARE NOT ASKING FOR EXTRAVAGANCE. WE'RE ASKING FOR COMPETENCE, TRANSPARENCY, AND FOLLOW THROUGH. WE'RE ASKING FOR A CITY THAT WORKS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. ALI ALI KHAN. I AM STEVEN VARGAS TO BE FOLLOWED BY CRYSTAL TOWNSEND. EVENING CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, I'M STEVEN VARGAS FROM DISTRICT GI WAS HERE LAST FALL ASKING FOR Y'ALL TO CONSIDER, UH, CREATING AN HIV LINE ITEM IN THE CITY BUDGET TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT ARE ARISING RIGHT NOW. WE HAVE A LOT OF CHANGES HAPPENING AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, WHICH ALSO AFFECT OUR STATE LEVEL AND IT'S CREATING GAPS IN CARE AND PREVENTION AND CARE. AND SO WE NEED OUR CITY. WE NEED ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT TO START HELPING OUT WITH. SO WITH A CITY LINE ITEM BUDGET, THAT SHOULD HELP US OUT TREMENDOUSLY TO ADDRESSING THE GAPS THAT ARE CREATED INADVERTENTLY BY WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE STATE AND THE FEDERAL LEVEL. AND I HAVE TO STAND HERE AND THANK UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS AND POLLARD AND CAYMANS BECAUSE WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO CAN ALSO EASE THE PRESSURES ON PEOPLE'S FEARS FOR ACCESSING THEIR MEDICAL CARE. SO PLEASE, EACH CITY COUNCIL MEMBER SUPPORT THAT MEASURE. WE ARE WATCHING TO SEE WHO DOES AND WE'RE WATCHING TO SEE WHO DOESN'T. WHEN IT COMES TO PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV, THERE'S CLOSE TO 40,000 PEOPLE IN HOUSTON ALONE LIVING WITH HIV. WE CAN BE A VOTING BLOCK. REMEMBER THAT? THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS CRYSTAL TOWNSEND. I AM A HOUSTONIAN AND OH, SORRY. MY NAME IS CRYSTAL TOWNSEND. I'M A HOUSTONIAN AND ALSO THE ORGANIZING DIRECTOR AT POSITIVE WOMEN'S NETWORK. USA. WE PREPARE AND SUPPORT ALL WOMEN, TRANS AND CIS WOMEN, GENDER DIVERSE PEOPLE, [01:55:01] AND TRANSGENDER PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV TO BE EFFECTIVE ADVOCATES AND LEADERS. I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO ROHAN FOR INVITING US HERE, UH, TO STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS. AND I'VE BEEN LISTENING AND I STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE COMMUNITY ASKING FOR CLEARER AND FAIR POLICIES AND NON-SAFETY TRAFFIC STOPS AND SEPARATING ICE FROM HPD BECAUSE WE DON'T LIVE SINGLE ISSUE LIVES. I THINK YOU HEARD STEVENS TALK ABOUT PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV. IN FACT, WHEN PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV ENCOUNTER LAW ENFORCEMENT, THEY ARE OFTEN SUBJECTED TO WORSE TREATMENT AND ENHANCED CRIMINAL CHARGES BECAUSE OF THEIR HIV STATUS. THAT IS NOT RIGHT. INSTEAD OF WASTING TAXPAYER DOLLARS, WE'RE ASKING FOR YOU TO INVEST IN PUBLIC SERVICES, PARTICULARLY FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH THEIR WITH HIVI KNOW THIS IS POSSIBLE. YOUR TIME IS EXPIRED. I'M ALMOST DONE. I KNOW THIS IS POSSIBLE. THE LATE COUNCILWOMAN ADA EDWARDS MADE THIS HAPPEN IN THE EARLY TWO THOUSANDS AND WE'RE ASKING FOR ONE OF YOU TO STEP UP AND MEET WITH US IN THE TEXAS STRIKE FORCE TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ELENA FERGUSON TO BE FOLLOWED BY EVELIO ESCA. UM, GOOD EVENING CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, MY NAME IS ELENA FERGUSON AND I'M A DISTRICT K RESIDENT. I CURRENTLY SERVE AS A POLICY SPECIALIST AT POSITIVE WOMEN'S NETWORK, A NATIONAL MEMBERSHIP BODY LED BY AND FORT WOMEN GENDER DIVERSE PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV ACCORDING TO A 2024 REPORT DONE BY THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT, HOUSTON HAS HIGHER RATES OF NEW HIV DIAGNOSES AND HIV PREVALENCE COMPARED TO TEXAS AND THE GREATER US. YET THERE HAS NEVER BEEN DEDICATED LINE ITEM IN THE GENERAL FUND OF OUR CITY'S BUDGET FOR HIV TREATMENT AND PREVENTION SERVICES AT THE TIME OF INCREASING UNCERTAINTY IN FEDERAL AND STATE FUNDING. THIS LEAVES OUR LOCAL HIV RESPONSE VULNERABLE TO DELAYS, CUTS AND SERVICE DISRUPTIONS. WITHOUT A CITY INVESTMENT, THERE IS NO BUFFER. WHEN STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDING GAPS OCCUR, THIS CITY MUST USE EVERY LEVER OF POWER TO ENSURE CONSISTENT AND ROBUST ACCESS TO CARE AND TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR THE ESTIMATED 32,000 HOUSTONIANS LIVING WITH HIV, REGARDLESS OF THEIR INCOME, IMMIGRATION STATUS OR NEIGHBORHOOD THAT THEY LIVE IN. THANK YOU. YOUR YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. HELLO, MY NAME IS EVELIO CAMILLA SALINA ESCAMILLA. UM, OF COURSE I SUPPORT PROPE. IT'S AN EASY VOTE. COME ON . WE ALL LIVE HERE TOGETHER. UH, BUT I'M HERE ALSO TO ALSO SUPPORT MY COLLEAGUES, UH, STEVEN VARGAS AND, UH, THE POSITIVE WOMEN'S NETWORK. I HAVE THE DATA HERE HOW HOUSTON HARRIS COUNTY RANKS AND AMONG OTHER TEXAS MAJOR CITIES AMONG HISPANICS. I WORK FOR A HISPANIC AGENCY, SO WE DO A LOT OF WORK ON, ON NUMBERS AND WE'RE FALLING BEHIND. WE'RE NOT DOING THAT. GREAT. SO WE HAVE THE AIDS WALK ON THIS APRIL 18TH. I WANT YOU ALL TO SHOW UP AND WALK WITH US AND SUPPORT US. PREVENTION IS THE ROLE OF THE CITY. THE COUNTY DOES CARE. THE ROLE OF PREVENTION IS THE CITY. OTHER STATE, OTHER STATE. THE STATE AND MAJOR OTHER MAJOR CITIES ACROSS THE STATE HAVE AN ADDICTION TO FEDERAL FUNDS. THIS IS QUITE OBVIOUS. YOU GUYS ARE ADDICTED TO FEDERAL FUNDS. YOU DON'T WANNA PITCH IN. WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO MAKE IT MUCH MORE AFFORDABLE. CARE. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED AND SERVICES. THANK YOU. HIV AND AGING SUCKS. I'VE BEEN LIVING WITH THE VIRUS FOR 15 YEARS AND IT'S NOT, IT'S VERY, VERY DIFFICULT TO TALK ABOUT THIS TOPIC. OH DEAR. SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE REALLY ADDRESS THIS ISSUE ALTOGETHER AS ONE. THANK YOU FOR BEING COUNCILMAN JUST TO YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR. I WANT TO THANK YOU AND, AND THE OTHERS WHO HAVE COME TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS. UM, YOU KNOW, MY BACKGROUND IS PUBLIC HEALTH AND I WANT TO, UH, LET YOU KNOW THAT I'M GONNA REACH OUT TO CRYSTAL AND, UH, GET SOME TIME TO MEET WITH Y'ALL TO FURTHER DISCUSS SPECIFICALLY WHAT IT IS YOU'D LIKE TO SEE FROM THE CITY AND HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH Y'ALL. THE CITY GETS MONEY, BUT THE THING IS THAT YOU, YOU HAVE TO WORK MORE ON MESSAGING AND THERE'S GAPS IN, IN MESSAGING AND HOW TO DELIVER THOSE SERVICES. AND OF COURSE THERE'S BEEN CUTS FROM THE FEDERAL FUNDS ON ON MANY THINGS AND WE'RE JUST ADDICTED TO FEDERAL FUNDS AND WE NEED TO WORK BETTER ON THAT. THANK YOU. DID YOU HAVE A PROCEDURAL MOTION? YES. I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD JACOB CLEMENTE TO THE BOTTOM OF SPEAKER'S LIST. SECOND. SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. MAY [02:00:01] I BEGIN? OKAY. HI, MY NAME IS MEREDITH MOORE. I'M A CONSTITUENT OF DISTRICT C AS A TEACHER, I KNOW THAT FOR A CHILD TO DEVELOP AND SUCCEED, THEY NEED SAFETY AND BELONGING IN THE CITY. THAT LEADS THE NATION'S ICE ARREST IN LARGE PART DUE TO HPDS COLLABORATION WITH ICE DURING TRAFFIC STOPS. WHAT DOES SAFETY AND BELONGING LOOK LIKE FOR OUR KIDS? IT LOOKS LIKE ME HOLDING A CRYING TEENAGER WHILE SHE TELLS ME ABOUT HER MOST RECENT NIGHTMARE THAT HER PARENTS ARE GONE. IT LOOKS LIKE STUDENTS TYPING F**K ICE INTO THEIR GRAPHING CALCULATORS INSTEAD OF THEIR LINEAR FUNCTIONS. IT LOOKS LIKE GROWING ABSENCES IN MY GRADE BOOK. AS MORE AND MORE FAMILIES ARE AFRAID TO LEAVE HOME. REMOVING THE FIRST PROVISION FROM SALINAS'S PROP A TELLS OUR CHILDREN THAT Y'ALL DON'T EVEN CARE IF THERE'S A JUDGE'S SIGNATURE BEFORE YOU TEAR THEIR LIVES APART. HOW'S THAT FOR SAFETY AND BELONGING? BY PASSING PROP A WITHOUT THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE, YOU ARE SOWING TERROR WHERE EDUCATORS ARE TRYING TO SOW SEATS AND HBDS COLLABORATION WITH ICE AND PASS PROP A WITH ITS ORIGINAL LANGUAGE. THANK YOU DARYL HARPER RYAN, RYAN SCHOENBERG, RACHEL REYNOLDS. I'M TRYING TO SEE TO BE FOLLOWED BY BRIDGET LAND. HELLO, MY NAME IS RACHEL REYNOLDS. I'M HERE TODAY TO ADVOCATE FOR THE USAGE OF NATIVE PLANTS AND TREES ON THE CITY APPROVED LIST. I APPROACHED THIS COUNCIL BACK IN OCTOBER, 2024 TO PROPOSE CHANGING THE LIST. I GOT GREAT RESPONSE. EVERYONE SEEMED TO BE IN AGREEMENT. THE LIST NEEDS TO BE UPDATED. PARKS AND REC SHARED WITH ME THEIR OWN LIST WITH NATIVE PLANT CHOICES. BUT THE OLD LIST IS STILL IN THE CODE OF ORDINANCES. LAST TIME I APPROACHED THE COUNCIL WITH CASUAL CURIOSITY, BUT THIS TIME I'M CHOOSING MY WORDS MORE CAREFULLY. 'CAUSE THE GRAVITY OF THIS SITUATION COULD NOT BE MORE SERIOUS. INVASIVE, POISONOUS PLANTS THAT ARE HARMFUL TO OUR ENVIRONMENT ARE BEING PLANTED UNDER THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE CITY. NATIVE PLANTS CONSUME LESS RESOURCES, LESS WATER, FERTILIZER, NO PESTICIDES. WE ARE ACTIVELY WASTING MONEY AND RESOURCES IN MAKING THE WRONG PLANT CHOICES. THE ROOT SYSTEMS OF NATIVE PLANTS ARE ALSO SUITED TO OUR REGION, THE GULF COAST PRAIRIE. THESE PLANTS HAVE DEEP ROOTS THAT PREVENT EROSION AND SOAK UP WATER LIKE SPONGES. I DON'T EVEN HAVE TO MENTION THE FLOODING PROBLEM IN HOUSTON BECAUSE OTHERS ALREADY DID. BUT I'M LOOKING AT PART OF THE PROBLEM OR WHAT COULD BE PART OF THE SOLUTION RIGHT HERE. I WILL NOT REST UNTIL THESE LISTS ARE UPDATED. I'M A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN AND MY LIFE HAS BEEN CHANGED BY YOUR, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU BRIDGET LAND LLOYD FORD TO BE FOLLOWED BY LINDSEY WILLIAMS. HELLO EVERYBODY. LORD FORD AGAIN. I SAY THIS PROPOSITION I BELIEVE IS ABOUT SOLUTIONS. UM, I WOULD COMMEND EVEN THE COUNCIL MEMBER THAT BEEN HERE FOR ONLY A COUPLE MONTHS TO HAVE THE BALLS TO PUT IT FORWARD FOR HER COMMUNITY. I WOULD SAY THIS, WHERE IS OUR CORNER STORE ORDINANCE FOR OUR BLACK COMMUNITY? WHERE IS OUR DILAPIDATED, UH, BUILDINGS FOR OUR COMMUNITY? IT AIN'T ROCKET SCIENCE. WHEN SHE SEEN THE ISSUE, SHE PUT SOMETHING FORTH IN ORDER TO TO FA SOLUTION. WHEN WHI MAYA SEEN SOMETHING FOR HIS COMMUNITY, GUESS WHAT? HE PROPOSED AN ORDINANCE TO PASS IT FOR HIS COMMUNITY. WHEREAS OURS, IT'S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE. WHEN IF RIVER OAKS HAD DILAPIDATED BUILDINGS AND, AND UH, CORNER STORES THAT WAS OVERRUN IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS, WELL WHAT THEY DO, THAT'S HOW SIMPLE WE GOTTA THINK ABOUT IT. AND WE DON'T DO THAT FOR OUR COMMUNITY. AND GUESS WHAT? WHEN ALL MY SUPPORTERS ARE ASKING FOR SOLUTIONS OR ASKING WHO WE SUPPORTING FOR THESE, LIKE THEY SAY THESE NEXT ELECTIONS THAT'S COMING UP, GUESS WHAT WE LOOKING AT? WHO'S PUTTING FORWARD SOLUTIONS FOR OUR COMMUNITY AT THE SAME TIME? AND THEN AGAIN, I THINK THIS PROPOSITION SHOULD BE FOR EVERYBODY. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. SIR, IF YOU COULD SERVE COUNCIL LINA, SIR, I JUST WANTED MY POLICY DIRECTOR'S STANDING BACK THERE. AND IF YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT ANY POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS YOU WANT US TO PUSH FORWARD, LET'S HAVE A CONVERSATION FOR SURE. I'LL MAKE SURE MY SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD KNOW. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, LINDSEY WILLIAMS TO BE FOLLOWED BY PAULINE CHEATHAM. HI EVERYBODY. MY NAME IS LINDSEY WILLIAMS AND I'M SPEAKING TODAY AS AN EASTON RESIDENT, NOT AS A CIVIC LEADER AND NOT AS A SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD PRESIDENT, JUST A NEIGHBOR AND A SIXTH [02:05:01] GENERATION TEXAN SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD. 64 AND 88 HAS VOTED TO SUPPORT THE ORDINANCE CLARIFYING HPD PROCESSES WITH ICE IN ITS ORIGINAL FORM. AND I WANT TO EXPLAIN WHY THAT MATTERS TO ME. OUR RESIDENTS ARE TALKING TO US. THEY TELL US THAT THEY ARE AFRAID. THEY'RE AFRAID TO CALL 9 1 1 AFRAID TO REPORT A CRIME OR EVEN USE 3 1 1, DESPITE EXPLAINING THAT THERE'S NO RISK IN USING 3 1 1. THEY'RE AFRAID THAT ROUTINE TRAFFIC STOP WILL NOT END THE WAY IT SHOULD. AND THAT FEAR HAS REAL CONSEQUENCES FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, NOT JUST FOR OUR IMMIGRANT FAMILIES, BUT FOR EVERY ONE OF US WHO DEPEND ON NEIGHBORS FEELING SAFE ENOUGH TO SPEAK UP. PERSONALLY, I'M WORRIED ABOUT THE PEOPLE I LIVE NEXT TO. GOOD PEOPLE, PEOPLE WHO CONTRIBUTE TO THE CITY EVERY DAY. IT IS MY JOB AS A SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD PRESIDENT TO FOSTER A SAFE ENVIRONMENT, A ROLE I TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY NO MATTER WHERE SOMEBODY COMES FROM THEIR LANGUAGE AT HOME OR THE COLOR OF THEIR SKIN. THIS ORDINANCE DOESN'T ASK HOUSTON TO DO ANYTHING RADICAL. AND I URGE YOUR SUPPORT. THANK YOU. PAULINE CHEATHAM. THEODORE CARRERO HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY RICHARD SCHWAGER. UH, THERE THERE USED TO BE A GENTLEMAN THAT HANDS OUT EVERYTHING. UH, YOU GUYS HAVE A COPY OF THE PRESENTATION. HAPPY NEW YEAR. UM, TO THE ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL ESPECIALLY, UH, MRS. SALINAS. I WAS ASKED BY A METROPOLITAN TRANSIT AUTHORITY BUS DRIVER, UH, MARRIED TO A GERMAN BORN MIGRANT. OUR QUESTION IS, OH, THE TOPIC IS JUST TO, UH, INTERJECT, UH, BATHROOMS. UH, WHY DOES THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, AMONGST ALL DISTRICTS, UH, UH, ARE IN CONTROL OF HARRIS COUNTY? WHY ARE WE NOT MEETING THE BASIC NEEDS OF OUR CUSTOMERS HAVING BATHROOM FACILITIES AVAILABLE? THE QUESTION PERTAINS TO METRO TRANSIT AUTHORITY, TRANSIT CENTERS AND HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION. WHY ARE UH, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BRAINSTORMING, TROUBLESHOOTING AND PROBLEM SOLVING, UH, THAT WE COULD DO TO SOLVE MEETING THE BASIC NEEDS AS MANY OF Y'ALL MIGHT KNOW, ARE HOUSTON MAYOR JOHN WHITMEYER TOLD ME, KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING. OPPORTUNITIES WILL BE PRESENTING THEMSELVES IN THE FUTURE. COULD THIS BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO MEET THE ADDRESS OF LACK OF PUBLIC RESTROOMS? I HAVE ATTACHED TWO GOOGLE OVER, UH, OVERVIEWS OF WHAT WE FIND WHEN WE TYPE IN METRO TRANSIT AUTHORITY. BATHROOMS. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. MY TIME HAS EXPIRED. HAPPY EASTER. RICHARD SCHWAGER, STEVE WILLIAMS. OH, HE'S NOT HERE. CESAR ESPINOSA TO BE FOLLOWED BY MARIAN WRIGHT. HELLO. UM, MY NAME IS ESA ESPINOZA AND I'M EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF YALE. I FEEL LIKE WE'VE MADE, UM, SOME PROGRESS FROM THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS. 'CAUSE NOT ONLY DID WE FINALLY COME CLEAN TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT IN FACT HOUSTON IS COLLABORATING WITH US. AFTER ALL OF THESE PEOPLE WERE TELLING CITY COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR THAT THAT WAS HAPPENING. BUT THAT SOMETHING FINALLY COMES FORWARD. I UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, THE, UH, OVERLY PAID, UH, CITY ATTORNEY, UH, HAS FOUND AN ISSUE WITH THIS. UH, BUT I THINK WHAT WE ARE ALL ASKING IS FOR CITY COUNCIL TO SHOW LEADERSHIP, TRUE LEADERSHIP AND MOVE FORWARD WITH WHAT THESE FOLKS ARE ASKING, WITH WHAT WE'RE ASKING, UH, TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE, UH, SOME SORT OF HELP AND REPRIEVE, UH, TO THE, TO THE CALLS. UH, AND I'LL, I'LL SHARE THIS WITH YOU AND I'VE BEEN SHARING THIS WITH EVERYBODY. IN 2023 FIELD RECEIVED 23 INTAKES FOR DEPORTATION DEFENSE. IN 2025 WE RECEIVED 20. YOUR TIME EXPIRED. 859. THAT'S NOT AN ACCIDENT. HI. UM, MY NAME'S MARIAN WRIGHT. UM, I ATTENDED A SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 51 WITH MARIO CASTILLO, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, WHO'S MY COUNCIL MEMBER. AND IT HAPPENED THAT, UM, ALSO THE CHIEF DIAZ WAS THERE. WHAT I FIND VERY INTERESTING ABOUT THAT MEETING IS THEY WERE ASKING CHIEF DIAZ MANY QUESTIONS, WHATEVER ANYBODY WANTED TO. NOT ONE PERSON BROUGHT UP THIS AMENDMENT, THIS PROPOSITION. IT WASN'T EVEN ON ANYONE'S RADAR. WHAT PEOPLE WERE WORRIED [02:10:01] ABOUT WAS CRIME, HOMELESSNESS, DOGS. AM I MISSING ANYTHING? I THINK THOSE WERE THE MAJOR THINGS. OKAY. THIS IS AN ECHO CHAMBER. THESE ARE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS. A LOT OF THEM THAT ARE HERE. WHEN I ASKED COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS, I MET WITH HER AND I SAID, HAVE YOU GONE TO THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS? HAVE YOU TALKED TO THE COMMUNITY? HAVE YOU MET WITH HOUSTONIANS AND SPOKEN WITH THEM? HER LIST OF SUPPORT GROUPS, THESE ARE ALL SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS. THEY'RE ALL SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS. SHE'S CALLING THIS A MOVEMENT. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. WE NEED TO SPEAK TO THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. WE NEED TO SPEAK TO HOUSTONIANS AND WE NEED TO STOP HAVING PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE NOT ALLOW EVERYBODY TO SPEAK. IT'S NOT RIGHT. THANK YOU. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. WE ALL HAVE A RIGHT TO SPEAK AND THIS HAS TO STOP. IT JUST HAS TO STOP. ITS RIGHT. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU COUNCIL. OKAY. UM, ONE MOMENT. OH, NEVERMIND. OH, THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. THANK YOU. LISA HUNT. GOOD EVENING. I'M LISA HUNT AND I COME TO YOU THIS EVENING AS AN EPISCOPAL PRIEST TO ADVOCATE FOR THE PASSAGE OF PROP A CLARIFYING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT AND ICE. THIS YEAR THE JEWISH OBSERVANCE OF PASSOVER COINCIDES WITH THE CHRISTIAN OBSERVANCE OF HOLY WEEK. BOTH HOLIDAYS COMMEMORATE THE MOVEMENT OF GOD TO LIBERATE PEOPLE FROM OPPRESSION AT THE HANDS OF POWER. IN THE PASSOVER, GOD DEMANDED TO LET MY PEOPLE GO, THAT MET WITH THE RESISTANCE FROM A PHARAOH WHO THOUGHT HE WAS GOD UNTIL HE WAS DEFEATED AT THE RED SEA. SIMILARLY, DURING HOLY WEEK, CHRISTIANS REMEMBER THE POWER OF CAESAR IN THE PERSON OF CONSCIOUS PILATE TO OPPRESS AND KILL THOSE WHO QUESTION THE MORALS OF EMPIRE. IN CONTRAST TO THE POWER OF GOD. TO FREE US FROM THE VALUES OF DEATH. TODAY, FEDERAL AND STATE POLICIES SEEK TO CRIMINALIZE IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES AND TO REQUIRE CITIES LIKE HOUSTON TO COLLABORATE WITH THEIR CRUEL AND OPPRESSIVE DICTATES, THESE POLICIES ARE A MORAL OFFENSE. AND TO THE UNITED STATES INSTITUTION, YOUR TIME HAS FINE. LET OUR PEOPLE GO PAST THIS ORDINANCE. MA'AM, HOLD ON ONE SECOND MA'AM. OKAY, SORRY. NEVERMIND. NEXT SPEAKER. OH, THANK YOU SARAH SAEED TO BE FOLLOWED BY RAINN EMAN. I AM SARA SAED, POLICY MANAGER AT WOODY JUNTOS. UH, THE PROPOSITION, A PROCESS DID NOT INCLUDE A LEGAL REVIEW COMPONENT AND THIS WAS LATER CODIFIED BY THIS COUNCIL. THIS MEANS YOU HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO AMEND THE PROPOSITION, A PROCESS OR CHALLENGE THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OPINION. MANY OF US HAVE RAISED CONCERNS ABOUT NON TRAFFIC STOPS, UNCHECKED, OFFICER DISCRETION, FOURTH AMENDMENT VIOLATIONS AND THEIR IMPACT. YOU HAVE BEEN PROVIDED COMMUNITY TESTIMONY, YOUR OWN DATA, AND ASKED QUESTIONS. A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, I ASKED YOU WHAT YOUR PLAN WAS FOR US BEFORE AND ITS INTERACTION WITH ICE AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT UNFOLDING IN OUR CITY. AND WE'VE ALREADY SEEN THE CONSEQUENCES. EVERY TIME POLICE AND ICE COLLABORATE TOGETHER, THEY'RE TAKING A PAGE FROM THE ISRAELI DEFENSE FORCE PRACTICES BECAUSE THEY'RE TRAINED BY THEM. WE'VE SEEN UNNECESSARY ARRESTS, RISING LEGAL COSTS FOR FAMILIES, INCREASED DETENTIONS, LEAVING FAMILIES UNSURE OF WHERE THEIR LOVED ONES EVEN ARE. JAIL OVERCROWDING AND VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT ARE AFRAID TO COME FORWARD. AND TODAY I'M ASKING HOW WILL YOU CHANGE THESE POLICIES? WILL YOU STRENGTHEN THE ORIGINAL INTENT OF THIS ORDINANCE PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS AND HELP IT MOVE FORWARD? YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANKS. RAIN RAINMAN. RAIN EMAN. RANDALL CALLANAN. HI BOWIE. LINDSEY BURROWS TO BE FOLLOWED BY THOMAS SUTHERLAND. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS LINDSEY BURROWS. UH, I'M NOT A LAWYER BUT I THINK YOU NEED TO REEVALUATE THE CITY LAWYER. THERE IS A REASON WHY DALLAS AND AUSTIN AND THE OTHER CITIES ARE LITERALLY NOT ALLOWING OR YOU KNOW, THEY IMPLEMENTED THE DISCRETIONARY POLICIES REGARDING THE ICE ADMINISTRATIVE WARRANTS. I THOUGHT WE WERE BETTER THAN DALLAS. EVERYONE IN HERE THINKS WE'RE BETTER THAN DALLAS. APPARENTLY WE'RE NOT. THAT'S A LITTLE CRAZY. THESE CITIES OPERATE UNDER THE SAME [02:15:01] STATE LAW THAT HOUSTON DOES. SO WHY HAS OUR CITY ATTORNEY REMOVED THIS PROVISION? WE DEMAND THAT THE CITY ATTORNEY RELEASE THEIR RULING TO THE PUBLIC. I'M ALSO ASKING FOR THE ORIGINAL PROP. A IMMIGRATION ORDINANCE INTRODUCED BY CITY COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS AS IT WAS WRITTEN WITH ALL THREE PROVISIONS INTACT. ELIMINATING THE PROLONGING OF TRAFFIC STOPS, REQUIRING PERIODIC TRANSPARENT REPORTS FROM HPD AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, GRANTING OFFICERS THE DISCRETION TO NOT CONTACT FEDERAL IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES ON THE BASIS OF THESE ADMINISTRATIVE WARRANTS ALONE. THANK YOU THOMAS SUTHER. OH, TO BE FOLLOW, FOLLOWED BY CAROLINA MARTINEZ. GOOD EVENING. I HAVE TESTIFIED SEVERAL TIMES IN FRONT OF THIS BODY SPEAKING ON THE VIOLENCE THAT ICE OFFICIALS PERPETRATE UNDER THE GUISE OF IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT. I HAVE ASKED YOU TO SEE THE HUMANITY IN RENEE GOODE, KEITH PORTER AND ALEX PRETY TO DO WHAT YOU CAN TO KEEP ANOTHER NAME OFF THAT SOMBER LIST OF INDIVIDUALS WHOSE LIVES HAVE BEEN CUT. SHORT CITY POLICY AS IT STANDS NOW, DOES NOT DO THAT. PROP A AS IT STANDS NOW, DOES NOT DO THAT. SO WHAT MUST BE DONE? HOW MANY MORE HUMAN LIVES MUST BE TAKEN FROM US FOR THIS COUNCIL TO TAKE REAL ACTION? HOW MANY MORE LIVES MUST BE LOST IN ICE CUSTODY? HOW MANY MORE FAMILIES MUST BE TORN APART? HOW MANY CHILDREN TRAUMATIZED? HOW DEEP MUST THE WOUNDS RUN THROUGH OUR COMMUNITIES BEFORE THIS BODY TAKES MEANINGFUL ACTION? HOUSTON DESERVES BETTER THAN THE FECKLESS LEADERSHIP THAT THIS BODY SO-CALLED PROVIDES. AND IF YOU WON'T DO BETTER, WE WILL FIND PEOPLE WHO WILL. THANK YOU CAROLINA MARTINEZ TO BE FOLLOWED BY JASMINE AKBARI. OKAY. HI, MY NAME IS SCOTTO. WHAT HAPPENED TO COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS'S PRO PROPOSITION LAST WEEK WAS NOT NEUTRAL. IT WAS NOT CONSISTENT AND IT WAS NOT CREDIBLE. ARTURO AND MICHELLE STRUCK DOWN A KEY PROVISION. WHILE CITIES LIKE DALLAS AND AUSTIN MOVE FORWARD WITH THE SAME POLICIES WITHOUT CONSEQUENCE, THAT'S NOT CAUTION. THAT'S SELECTIVE ENFORCEMENT. AND WHEN LEGAL OPINIONS ONLY SEEM TO APPEAR LIKE THEY'RE POLITICALLY CONVENIENT, PEOPLE START TO NOTICE. AND LET'S BE CLEAR, THE CITY ATTORNEY WAS APPOINTED BY THE MAYOR AND WHEN HIS DECISIONS JUST HAPPEN TO ALIGN WITH WHAT THE MAYOR WANTS BLOCKED, IT RAISES A SERIOUS QUESTION. WHOSE INTERESTS ARE ACTUALLY BEING SERVED? BECAUSE THIS ISN'T ABOUT PROTECTING THE CITY, IT'S ABOUT PROTECTING POWER. YOU CANNOT CLAIM LEGAL RISK IN ONE BREATH AND IGNORE IT EVERYWHERE ELSE. YOU CANNOT APPLY ONE STANDARD HERE AND COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ONES IN EVERY OTHER MAJOR CITY IN TEXAS. THAT'S NOT LAW, THAT'S POLITICS. AND IF THIS COUNCIL IS COMFORTABLE HIDING BEHIND THAT, THEN SAY IT PLAINLY. PLAINLY. OTHERWISE YOU NEED TO PASS THE ORIGINAL PROPOSITION AS WRITTEN EXCUSE. HOUSTON IS BEHIND THE CURVE. DALLAS AND AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENTS BOTH HAVE POLICIES THAT DON'T REQUIRE THEIR OFFICERS TO CALL ICE FOR ADMINISTRATIVE WARRANTS. HOUSTON DOES NOT. WE WOULD'VE BUT IT WAS CUT BY OUR CITY ATTORNEY WHO SAID IT WAS UNLAWFUL. WHY? HE'S NOT ELECTED. HE'S APPOINTED BY OUR MAYOR. AND IN 2023 HE WAS THE HIGHEST PAID CITY OF HOUSTON OFFICIAL. AND NOW BECAUSE OF HIS LEGAL OPINION, A KEY PART OF THIS ORDINANCE WAS STRUCK DOWN. SO I ASK THE CITY ATTORNEY TO RELEASE HIS LEGAL OPINION TO THE PUBLIC BECAUSE EVERY PERSON WHO HAS COME HERE TO TESTIFY OVER THE PAST YEAR DESERVES TO KNOW WHY THEIR ORDINANCE WAS WATERED DOWN THE DAY. LABORERS IN DISTRICT C. THE STUDENTS AT SAM HOUSTON HIGH SCHOOL IN DISTRICT H, WHO SOCCER CAPTAIN IS STILL IN ICE DETENTION. THEY ALL DESERVE TO KNOW WHY. BECAUSE THIS ORDINANCE AS MAN, AS MUCH AS I THANK COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS FOR BRINGING IT FORWARD, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THIS ORDINANCE BELONGS TO US TO HOUSTONIANS AND WE DESERVE AN ORDINANCE THAT PROTECTS US JUST AS MUCH AS THE PEOPLE IN DALLAS AND IN AUSTIN. THANK YOU. AN ANTHONY HUBBARD TO BE [02:20:01] FOLLOWED BY MICHELLE BOUCHARD. THANK YOU. SALINAS CAYMAN POLLARD. AND SINCE WHITMEYER IS NOT HERE, I WANNA SPEAK TO ALL OF Y'ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS HERE. IT'S BY WHAT SOME MAY SAY. PEOPLE TO SUPPORT THIS. YOU CAN TALK TO ANYONE. DISTRICT GATES. MY DISTRICT. 'CAUSE DIO WAS THERE WHEN MORROW, A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT, WAS DEPORTED AND TAKEN FROM THE FAMILY. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF Y'ALL HAD ANYONE CLOSE TO Y'ALL, BUT IF MY KID WAS TAKEN FROM ME, I WOULD DO HEAVEN AND HELL TO GET THEM BACK. PEOPLE CARE ABOUT THIS AND YOU CAN TALK TO THEM AND YOU CAN JUST LISTEN TO THEIR STORIES. IT SOUNDS PEST OF INTEREST. THESE ARE PEOPLE I'VE, I ASK THAT ALL OF Y'ALL SUPPORT PROPPE AND ALL OF Y'ALL STAND BY OUR COMMUNITIES. THANK MICHELLE BOUCHARD TO BE FOLLOWED BY JEFF REESE. THANK YOU. I'M A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER IN, UH, COUNCIL DISTRICT, UH, C AND I AM SHOCKED AND APPALLED AT PROPOSITION A BECAUSE IT'S A BLATANT ORGANIZED HIJACKING OF OUR PRIORITIES IN THIS CITY. THIS IS A DANGEROUS CITY. WE KNOW THIS IS A DANGEROUS CITY AND WE ALL SHOULD FEEL SAFE. AND THAT WHY, THAT IS WHY LAW AND ORDER MUST BE OUR PRIORITY. BY THE WAY, COUNCILMAN POLLARD, WHERE'S THE OUTRAGE IN THIS ROOM OVER THOSE COPS WHO WERE SHOT, ENGULFED IN RECENTLY AT A ROUTINE TRAFFIC STOP? WOULD THEY NOT HAVE THEM DO THAT TRAFFIC STOP AND HAVE THAT GUY OUT THERE SHOOTING UNARMED CITIZENS? WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE OVER THE CHILDREN AND THE WOMEN TRAFFICKED, ENGULFED IN AND THEY OUTRAGED OVER MARIETTA WILSON, WHO WAS BLATANTLY MURDERED IN THE HEIGHTS RECENTLY. WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE OVER? THE KIDS AFRAID TO PLAY OUTSIDE IN SUNNYSIDE 'CAUSE THEY'RE GONNA BE SHOCKED. THIS IS A HIJACKING OF OUR PRIORITY. AND KEEP YOUR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT. COUNSEL PROTECT US. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. JEFF. JEFF REESE. JEFF REESE. SAMUEL JESSE TO BE FOLLOWED BY CLAIRE JOHNSON. HELLO, UH, MY NAME IS DR. SAMUEL JUST REPRESENTING MY VIEWS AS A REVENANT RESIDING IN DISTRICT D. UH, WHILE THIS CIVIC CONGREGATION HERE TODAY CLEARLY TESTIFIES WHY WE CALL AN END TO HPDS COLLABORATION WITH ICE. LET ME INSET OFFER CLAIRVOYANCE TO THE FUTURE. COUNCIL MEMBER SALINA'S ORIGINAL LANGUAGE FOR PROP A IS THE BARE MINIMUM. RECALL THE VAST MAJORITY HERE TODAY DEMANDING THIS FOR OUR COMMUNITIES BAYLOR TO ADOPT. THIS PROPOSAL WILL BE CARVED ON YOUR NAME IF YOU IGNORE THIS DEMAND. YOUR CAREER IN PUBLIC OFFICE IS NUMBERED. TRUST THAT AS YOU SEEK PRE-ELECTION, WORKING CLASS PEOPLE OUTNUMBER YOU. AND OUR ORGANIZING FERVOR WILL OUTMATCH YOU. MAY THIS CHAMBER BEAR WITNESS TO YOUR DECISION AND SERVE AT AS AN IMPENDING TRIBUNAL UNITED. TOGETHER WE EMBODY THE SPIRIT OF SOLIDARITY, THE SPIRIT OF JUSTICE, AND THE SPIRIT OF DEMOCRACY MADE MANIFEST. AND BY THE POWER OF THIS COLLECTIVE SPIRIT, WE WILL HAUNT YOU CLAIRE JOHNSON. ANDREA RAPIER, JAY BUSTOS TO BE FOLLOWED BY MAXIM MAXIM, MILANO DIAZ. HELLO EVERYONE. MY NAME IS JAY. I'M YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSTONIAN. THE REQUEST IN THE IS PRETTY SIMPLE. HOUSTON NEEDS TO CUT ALL TIES WITH ICE. AT THE VERY LEAST, MAJOR PROPS TO THE PROP A, BUT AT THE VERY LEAST OF THE NEXT STEP OR MORE THE MAIN GOAL AND NON-SAFETY TRAFFIC STOPS, I COULD GO DOWN THE FACTS ON THE DANGERS OF ALL THE NON-SAFETY TRAFFIC STOPS. SUCH AS LIKE RARELY UNCOVERED EVIDENCE ON RANDOM CRIME [02:25:01] OR MORE LIKELY TO END A POLICE FORCE OR EVEN RISKS FOR, UH, HIGHER RISK, UH, TOWARDS PEOPLE OF COLOR. BUT THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A HUGE STEP TOWARDS, YOU KNOW, SUPPORTING OUR NEIGHBORS AND OUR RESIDENTS. AND ITS NON-SAFETY. TRAFFIC STOPS WILL BE A BIG STEPS TO LIKE THE BIGGEST ENDING, THE BIGGEST FACTOR TO GIVING ICE A BS EXCUSE TO RIPPING FAMILIES APART. IF YOU DON'T WANNA LOOK AT IT AT HUMANITY AND A MORAL PERSPECTIVE, YOU COULD LOOK AT IT A FISCAL VIEW. THIS WOULD YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED REDUCED WASTE TIME FOR OFFICERS YOU KNOW THAT THEY COULD ALLOCATE TOWARDS SOMETHING ELSE. MAX MILANO DIAZ. MY NAME'S MAXIM DIAZ. SO HOUSTON VOTERS GAVE THIS COUNCIL A CHECK ON MAYOR POWER AND COUNCIL MEMBERS SALINAS USED IT YET SOMEHOW. AND AN UNELECTED CITY ATTORNEY APPOINTED BY THE SUPPOSEDLY VERY, VERY TOLERANT MAYOR, GUTTED THE MOST IMPORTANT PROVISION BEFORE IT COULD EVEN REACH A VOTE. EVERYONE KNOWS S BEFORE DOES NOT REQUIRE ENFORCING ADMINISTRATIVE WARRANTS. DALLAS KNOWS THIS. AUSTIN KNOWS THIS YET. DA YET HOUSTON CITY OFFICIALS DON'T SEEM TO KNOW THIS. MY FAMILY DESERVES A CITY THAT KNOWS THIS TOO. PASS THE FULL ORDINANCE, REINSTATE THE PROVISION WITH AN AMENDMENT. OUR CITY SHOULD NOT WORK WITH TERRORISTS LIKE ICE OR MAYOR WHITMEYER. BY THE WAY EARLIER SOMEONE SAID TO GIVE THOSE SPEAKING ILL OF IMMIGRANTS RESPECT, I DON'T THINK NAZIS DESERVE RESPECT. THE ORIGINAL ORDINANCE IS THE BARE MINIMUM WE SAW ALSO STOP NON-SAFETY TRAFFIC STOPS AND END THE CITY CONTRACT. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. BLOCK SAFETY AS IT'S PROVEN TO TARGET BLACK AND HISPANIC COMMUNITIES. JEREMY PEEL TO BE FOLLOWED BY MICHELLE EBO OF HOCKLEY. GOOD EVENING COUNSEL. MY NAME IS JEREMY PEEL. I'M AN ATTORNEY LIVING IN DISTRICT C AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE. I SUPPORT THIS ORDINANCE BECAUSE IT ELIMINATES THE FOURTH AMENDMENT VIOLATION I MENTIONED AT A PREVIOUS PUBLIC SESSION. HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THAT HPD OFFICERS SHOULD HAVE THE CHOICE WHETHER OR NOT TO CONTACT ICE AS OPPOSED TO BEING REQUIRED TO THIS PROVISION DOES NOT VIOLATE SB FOUR. SB FOUR WOULD NOT ALLOW A CITY POLICY THAT QUOTE PROHIBITS OR MATERIALLY LIMITS ENFORCEMENT OF IMMIGRATION LAWS. THIS ORDINANCE, EVEN WITH OFFICER DISCRETION DOES NEITHER. IT DOES NOT BAN COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN HPD AND ICE, NOR DOES IT RESTRICT IT. IT SIMPLY ALLOWS OFFICERS TO CHOOSE WHETHER OR NOT TO CONTACT ICE. MUCH LIKE THE DISCRETION OFFICERS EXERCISE EVERY DAY IN BOTH DALLAS AND AUSTIN. POLICE OFFICERS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO CONTACT ICE WHEN THEY FIND AN INDIVIDUAL WITH AN ADMINISTRATIVE WARRANT. AND NEITHER OF THESE CITIES HAVE BEEN CONFRONTED WITH LEGAL ACTION FOR ANY ALLEGED VIOLATION OF STATE LAW. IN CLOSING, I NOT ONLY URGE THIS COUNSEL EXPIRED, BUT I ALSO REQUEST THAT THE CITY ATTORNEY RELEASE A LEGAL OPINION DETAILING WHY THIS PROVISION WAS REMOVED AND WHY HE DISAGREES WITH THE THREE ELECTED ATTORNEYS ON COUNCIL THAT PROPOSED THIS ORDINANCE. THANK YOU. MICHELLE EGEN FROM HOCKLEY TO BE FOLLOWED BY BERNADETTE KIKI. HI. THE CONDUCT OF HPD WITH REGARDING THIS PRIVATE CLASSIFICATION FOLLOWS EXACTLY HOW THIS FRAMEWORK IS BEING INTRODUCED, INFORMAL AND OFF THE BOOKS. I JUST WANNA REPEAT WHAT I STATED LAST WEEK. THE FBI DOES NOT HAVE INTERNAL POLICY TO ENFORCE ANY PRIVATE CLASSIFICATION AGAINST CIVILIANS. AND WHAT'S COMING OUT ABOUT THIS FRAMEWORK ARE THE CONSEQUENCES ASSOCIATED WITH INCLUSION AND SYSTEMS SUCH AS THE NATIONAL CRIME INFORMATION CENTER. INCLUDING, UH, ENTRIES WITHIN FILES LIKE THE VIOLENT GANG TERRORIST ORGANIZATION FILE AND THE ALERTS AND COORDINATING MEASURES THAT FOLLOW FROM INCLUSION BY THE ACT OF INCLUSION OF A CIVILIAN. IN THAT SYSTEM, IT REFLECTS A LEVEL OF CONCERN TREATED AS JUSTIFIED THAT HAS BEEN DETERMINED, WHICH THEN TRIGGERS ALERTS, COORDINATING MEASURES, [02:30:01] AND INCREASED SCRUTINY. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. CAN I GET MORE TIME? NO. OKAY. UH, WHICH IS WHY I'VE BEEN COMING HERE WITH, REGARDING POLICE HARASSMENT. IT'S SCRUTINY THAT COMES FROM INCLUSION AND SYSTEMS LIKE THE NCIC, RIGHT? THANK YOU BERNADETTE. KIKI TO BE, TO BE FOLLOWED BY STEPHANIE WILKINS. GREETINGS, UH, BLESSING MAYO AND ALL COUNCIL MEMBER SHOUT OUT TO YOU. UH, YOU ALL KNOW I'M FROM DISTRICT F AND UM, KIKI, 35 YEARS OF BEING IN HOUSTON, BLESSED HOUSTONIANS CRYING AND PRAYING THAT WE IN HOUSTON DO NOT GO TO HELL AND . AND I'M HERE TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE HOUR OF HUMAN EXISTENCE, AS WE KNOW IT IS SPEEDILY ABOUT TO COME TO AN END. THIS LAST SUNDAY, THE MEGA ASIAN PROPHET OF JEHOVAH, YAHWEH AND ELIJAH CALLED DOWN RAIN IN THE VERY BEFORE OF THE WHOLE WORLD. THE 30TH TIME, THE 30TH TIME, THE LORD JEHOVA YAHWEH ANNOUNCE YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THAT GL JESUS CHRIST IS COMING BACK. IANS THE GLORIOUS JESUS CHRIST, OUR LORD AND SAVIOR WHO DIED ON THE CROSS. THANK YOU COMING BACK. THANK YOU. AND HE WANTS US ALL TO KNOW HE'S GONNA BE UPSET WHEN HE GETS HERE, BECAUSE TIME IS OVER. I'M CRYING AND WAI EVERY DAY AS MAMA KIKI. I DON'T WANNA SEE ANYBODY GO TO HELL. PLEASE TAKE MY, COME HERE. SERIOUSLY. YES. LET'S WALK TOGETHER AND BRING THE MEGA PROFIT. THEY ARE GOING FROM NATION TO NATION. NATION TO NATION AS WE CAN. DO YOU. THANK YOU. SO STEPHANIE WILKINS, DUETTA STEVENSON TO BE FOLLOWED BY FELIX KAUR. GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR AND ALL OF CITY COUNCIL. UM, I'M JOTA STEVENSON AND I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE GREATER FIFTH WARD SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD. I'VE COME HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT TRAFFIC STOPS. THEY ARE STILL WAY, WAY, WAY TOO HIGH. I KNOW THAT LAST YEAR, THE EARLY PART OF LAST YEAR, THAT YOU STOPPED THAT ONE STOP ONE OFFICER PER DAY. I KNOW YOU STOPPED THAT, BUT IT WAS STILL AN UPTICK. REMEMBER IN 2023 IT, THE NUMBER OF TRAFFIC STOPS ESCALATED UNBELIEVABLY HIGH. WELL, WE STILL ARE VERY, VERY HIGH. WE'RE TOO HIGH AND BLACK PEOPLE LEAD THE PACT IN WHO'S GETTING STOPPED IN THIS CITY? WE NEED TO ENCOURAGE OFFICERS OR HPD, THE THE CHIEF TO PLEASE TELL THEIR OFFICERS TO STOP STOPPING PEOPLE FOR BROKEN TAIL LIGHTS OR OTHER RIDICULOUS THINGS. WHAT ABOUT THE SAFETY OF A, OF HOUSTONIANS? WHAT ABOUT PEOPLE THAT ARE DRIVING RECKLESSLY? TARGET THEM, TARGET OTHERS. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THAT, THAT ARE ENDANGERING US. THANK YOU. AND I CALL ON ALL THE CITY COUNCIL TO HELP FELIX KAUR TO BE FOLLOWED BY JOSEPH AMARI. ALRIGHT, GOOD EVENING COUNSEL. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR. UM, MY NAME IS FELIX UR, RESIDENT OF DISTRICT I AND A PROUD MEMBER OF THE NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVE. UM, HOUSTON THREAT TO FLOODING JUST INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY, ESPECIALLY WITH NEIGHBORHOODS IN NORTHEAST HOUSTON. I'M ASKING ALL OF COUNCIL TO INVEST IN PUBLIC WORKS BY HIRING THE ALMOST 400 EMPLOYEES THAT WERE PUSHED OUT WITH EARLY RETIREMENT AND JOB CUTS LAST YEAR. THIS ADMINISTRATION CLAIMS TO HAVE MADE HISTORIC DRAINAGE INVESTMENTS. BUT HOW CAN YOU INVEST MONEY INTO A DEPARTMENT THEN TAKE AWAY CLOSE TO 10% OF ITS WORKFORCE? APPARENTLY THAT'S CALLED EFFICIENCIES. UM, THE NEW FEMA FLOOD MAPS HAVE BEEN RELEASED AND THAT SHOULD BE ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THIS DEMAND. UM, BUT I KIND OF WANNA ASK A DIFFERENT QUESTION. UH, WHEN IS THIS COUNCIL GOING TO BE BRAVE? UH, WHEN ARE WE GONNA STAND UP AND MAKE A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLAR DECISIONS TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE? WE DON'T NEED A FREEWAY EXPANSION. [02:35:01] WE DON'T NEED GEORGE R. BROWN TO HOST THE NEXT REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION. UH, WE DON'T NEED OUR STREETS PAVED FOR THE WORLD CUP. THAT ISN'T WHAT WE NEED. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. WE NEED INTO ALL COLLABORATION BETWEEN HPD AND ICE. WE NEED THE PEOPLE PROTECTED. MAKE A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLAR INVESTMENTS INTO THE PEOPLE AND WHOEVER SAID THEY NEED TO TALK TO THE COMMUNITY IN HOUSTON FROM THAT SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD. THIS, THIS IS THE COMMUNITY. WE ARE THE COMMUNITY. EXCUSE ME, SOMEBODY. YOU LEFT THE BAG HERE, BROTHER. SOMEBODY LEFT SOMETHING HERE. IS THIS YOUR, ANYBODY LEFT YOU THAT? YOURS. OH, THANK YOU. OKAY. UH, WE ARE A PROUD BLACK AMERICAN WITH A RICH HISTORICAL LEGACY, HERITAGE OF ACHIEVEMENT IN THE FIELD OF SOCIOECONOMICS, POLITICAL JUSTICE, ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT, MUSIC, SPORTS SCIENCE, POLITICS, BUSINESS EDUCATION MEDICINE. JOHN HANSEN WAS THE FIRST PRESIDENT AND THE FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WHO CREATED THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT, THE COMMERCE DEPARTMENT, DEFENSE DEPARTMENT, AND DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS. FREDERICK DOUGLAS WAS THE FIRST PRE-BLACK AMERICA ORATOR, WHO WAS A WHITE TO SPEAK AT THE END OF INDEPENDENCE CELEBRATION WHO SPOKE IN ABOUT SLAVERY. DURING SLAVERY, WE, BLACK AMERICA HAD ACCUMULATED 400 OF GENERATIONS TO COLLECTIVE WEALTH. TWO OH YEARS OF SWEAT ETHIC, WEALTH WITHOUT PAY IN NAME OF FREEDOM. IN SLAVERY OF 200 YEARS, WE'VE RECEIVED JUST COMPENSATION FOR OUR LABOR AND CREATED CONTRIBUTION TO THE GLOBAL WORLD ECONOMY IN EVERY FIELD. WE DIDN'T COME TO AMERICA ON THE MAYFLOWER AS IMMIGRANTS WE BROUGHT TO HERE AS AMERICA AND SHACKLES OF SLAVERY. WE WERE THE FIRST HUMAN TRAFFIC BUSINESS AFTER BARACK OBAMA, NEW YORK TIME HAS EXPIRED. LET LETICIA GUCCI. SHE'S NOT HERE. SHE'S NOT NICK VAUGHN TO BE FOLLOWED BY JACOB CLEMENT, GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SQUEEZING ME IN. UH, MY NAME IS NICK VAUGHN. I'M HERE IN MY CAPACITY AS A REPRESENTATIVE AND MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF THE HOUSTON L-G-B-T-Q POLITICAL CAUCUS TO AFFIRM OUR UNANIMOUS SUPPORT FOR THE PROP. A ORDINANCE PROPOSED BY COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS POLLARD AND CAYMAN. I RECOGNIZE THAT THERE'S CONCERN ABOUT COMPLYING WITH STATE AND FEDERAL LAW, BUT LET'S NOT CONFUSE COMPLIANCE WITH COLLABORATION. IT'S CLEAR THAT THE DISCRETION PROVISION ISN'T REMOTELY UNLAWFUL. THE CAUCUS FULLY SUPPORTS THE ORIGINAL PROPOSED ORDINANCE. ANY STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION IS A GOOD STEP, AND I FEEL CONFIDENT IN SAYING WE WOULD SUPPORT A REVISED PROPOSAL, BUT, AND IT MUST BE THE FOUNDATION OF MUCH GREATER REFORM AHEAD. FURTHERMORE, I WANNA POINT OUT THAT THIS ORDINANCE IS IN PERFECT ALIGNMENT WITH THE UNIFIED HOUSTON QUEER AGENDA CREATED THROUGH COLLABORATION BETWEEN MORE THAN TWO DOZEN LGBTQ PLUS SERVING ORGANIZATIONS EARLIER THIS YEAR. SO WHILE I SPEAK SPECIFICALLY FOR THE CAUCUS, I FEEL CONFIDENT IN SAYING THAT I ALSO SPEAK FOR HOUSTON'S BROADER QUEER COMMUNITY IN SAYING WE NEED THIS ORDINANCE AND MORE. FINALLY, I WILL ADD THE CUS WILL BE TALKING ON THIS ORDINANCE VERY CLOSELY. JACOB, JUST A MOMENT. COUNCILMAN JACKSON? THANK YOU. MAY I HAVE A PROCEDURE MOTION? UM, I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD JANELLE ROBLES, UM, I GUESS AFTER JACOB SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND, ONLY A FAVOR, SAY YES AS OPPOSED TO NAY. NO MOTION. GO FOR IT. JACOB. BE LIKE ME. BUT FOR . AT ANY RATE, AG JOKE TIME, THIS AG PROFESSOR AND DOUBLE STUDY OF CHEMISTRY AND KINESIOLOGY SAID AS BEST ADVICE, YOU KNOW WHY YOU CAN USE IT TO HA A WOUND WITH WATER. YOU CAN DROWN IN IT AND THEN SEE YOU CAN BE BURNED. BUT GO FAR. JACOB, GO AHEAD, . WELL, UH, I WANNA SAY THIS. MY FATHER WAS AN IMMIGRANT AND WELL, HE WAS A LEGAL IMMIGRANT. AND, UH, WELL, UH, I'M A SON OF AN IMMIGRANT AND YET, UH, I WAS ARRESTED AND I HAD A FELONY CHARGE AND I HAD TIME IN JAIL. BUT HEY, I GOT BETTER. I MEAN, I MIGHT HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE, BUT I TAKE MY MEDICATION AND I GET BETTER AND BETTER EVERY DAY AND IN EVERY WAY. AND, UH, I I WAS THINKING, OH, WELL, WHEN I WAS IN JAIL, YOUR TIME WAS EXPIRED. JOHN MEYER WAS MAYOR. JOHN MEYER WAS A STATE SENATOR AND HE, UH, WAS, UH, IN CHARGE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE. SO [02:40:01] HE KNOWS WHAT HE'S DOING. THANK YOU, JACOB. THANK YOU. JACOB. NEXT. JANELLE, LES. ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS JANELLE ROBLES. I AM A RESIDENT HERE IN HOUSTON. I HAVE BEEN A PUBLIC SERVANT FOR NEARLY A DECADE. I SERVED AS A HARRIS COUNTY FELONY PROSECUTOR, UM, PROTECTING VICTIMS OF VIOLENT CRIME, A MAGISTRATE JUDGE IN HARRIS COUNTY, PROBABLE CAUSE COURT, AND, UH, RECENTLY AS A FELONY, UH, PUBLIC DEFENDER HERE IN HARRIS COUNTY. BECAUSE I AM BILINGUAL, NEARLY ALL OF MY CASELOAD INVOLVES REPRESENTING SPANISH SPEAKING IMMIGRANTS, INDIVIDUALS CHARGED WITH A CRIME. AND IT IS SAD TO SAY IN THE LAST YEAR OR SO, I HAVE SEEN A RISE IN THE NUMBER OF INDI BIZARRE CASES FILED AGAINST MY IMMIGRANT CLIENTS. UM, AND I'M SEEING MY CLIENTS GETTING ARRESTED, CHARGED, AND, UM, ACCUSED FOR BEHAVIORS OF OTHER CLIENTS THAT I WOULDN'T OTHERWISE SEE. UM, AND IT'S BEEN PERVASIVE AND BECAUSE I WAS TAUGHT AS A YOUNG PROSECUTOR TO EVALUATE THE EVIDENCE THOROUGHLY, UM, MANY OF MY CASES HAVE BEEN DISMISSED. AND SADLY, THEY'RE STILL, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED, DEPORTED AND GOING TO ICE. THANK YOU. UM, AND SO I'M ASKING FOR SUPPORT OF THE PROPOSITION. THANK YOU. THIS COMPLETES THE LIST OF SPEAKERS WE STAND. UH, ANYONE, ANYONE GOT OVERLOOKED THAT SIGNED UP? STATE YOUR NAME, MA'AM. MY NAME IS CORETTA BROWN. WERE YOU ON THE LIST? YES, PLEASE, PLEASE PROCEED. IN REGARDS TO PROP A, IT'S DECENT, BUT IT LACKS INCLUSIVITY. I FIRMLY AGREE THAT SAFE TRAFFIC STOPS SHOULD BE ABOUT SAFETY, NOT SUSPICION. EVERY DRIVER, NO MATTER THEIR RACE, BACKGROUND, INCOME OR IMMIGRATION STATUS, DESERVE TO BE TREATED FAIRLY. WHEN WE CREATE POLICIES THAT REFLECT THAT WE ARE NOT JUST HELPING ONE GROUP, WE'RE PROTECTING ENTIRE COMMUNITIES. BUT THE MOMENT YOU EXCLUDE ANY DEMOGRAPHIC FOR ANY REASON, YOU STOP BEING A COUNCIL FOR ALL PEOPLE AND YOU BEGIN TO SLIP ON THE VERY PROMISE THAT GOT YOU ELECTED. ALSO, THIS CAN'T STOP WITH DISCRETION. IT HAS TO MOVE TO PREVENTION. THAT MEANS ADDRESSING THE ISSUE IN A WAY THAT WORKS FOR EVERYONE. INCLUSIVE POLICIES REDUCE HARM AND BUILD TRUST, AND THEY MAKE OUR ROLES SAFER FOR US ALL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WE STAND AND RECESS. [RECESS] SO NINE IN THE MORNING. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.