Oakland Advances Sanctuary Ordinance After Emotional Clash Over Racial Equity

Oakland's Public Safety Committee forwarded the most comprehensive sanctuary protections in the city's history to the full council, but not before Councilmember Ken Houston briefly walked off the dais and nearly broke quorum, demanding the city protect its Black residents with the same urgency. The committee also greenlit a novel street-closure pilot to fight sex trafficking near Franklin Elementary, shelved a sideshow penalty ordinance indefinitely, and received an update on a still-confidential police chief search.

• Strengthened "City of Refuge" ordinance advances, codifying sanctuary protections into Oakland Municipal Code with provisions barring all city employees from cooperating with ICE
• Six-month street closure pilot near International Blvd. approved to disrupt sex trafficking around Franklin Elementary, modeled on a Houston, Texas, program that cut solicitation 98%
• Sideshow penalty ordinance shelved indefinitely after Houston argued modern events are "destruction, not sideshows" and speakers questioned the reactive approach
• Four police chief finalists sent to the mayor from 18 applicants after six community forums; names remain confidential
• Community coalition demands Flock contract cancellation, arguing the automated license plate reader system undermines sanctuary protections by enabling ICE data access

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Sanctuary Protections Locked Into City Law — but Not Without a Fight

The basics: The City of Refuge ordinance, introduced by Chair Charlene Wang and Councilmember Noel Gallo, consolidates years of sanctuary resolutions and executive orders into a single section of Oakland Municipal Code. The ordinance prohibits all city employees — not just Oakland police — from assisting federal civil immigration enforcement, bars collection of immigration status on city service applications unless required by law, requires a valid judicial warrant for ICE to access non-public city facilities, and prohibits OPD from detaining anyone solely on the basis of a civil immigration detainer.

Floor amendments, requested by OPD itself, strengthened the detainer provisions by striking exception language that could have created confusion about when officers might comply with ICE holds.

Why it matters: Codifying the protections into municipal code makes them far harder to undo than an executive order or resolution. "We cannot count on the fact that we are always going to have a mayor that supports undocumented communities," said Chair Wang. "The codification ensures that this remains in law and would require undoing by an entire city council."

Where things stand: Wang presented stark numbers to frame the urgency: a 114% increase in California immigration detention, with 73% of detainees having no criminal record and an 18% decline in crime reporting. She cited $67 billion in regional GDP and $8.4 billion in annual tax revenue at risk from enforcement-driven economic disruption.

Approximately 35 speakers addressed the item, overwhelmingly in support. Faith in Action East Bay, ACE (Asian Communities for Education), Asian Pacific Environmental Network, the Oakland Alliance Against Racist and Political Oppression, and the Coalition for Police Accountability all testified in favor.

"Passing the City of Refuge ordinance will establish clear operational rules for the Oakland Police Department and all city employees, including rules governing data collection," said Councilmember Noel Gallo, co-sponsor of the measure.

Faith in Action attorney James Wood testified that fear of enforcement is suppressing crime reporting, citing 7,000-plus Asians and 2,400-plus Black and Caribbean people detained during the federal enforcement surge. Public commenter John Jones III shared that his son asked him, "What if somebody try to take you away?" — and pledged publicly to support undocumented parents at Garfield Elementary.

Several speakers went beyond the ordinance to demand the city cancel its contract with Flock, the automated license plate reader company, arguing the surveillance technology enables ICE data access and undermines the sanctuary framework the council was building. ACE member Teresa Salazar and public commenter Zarina Diaz both called Flock a direct threat to immigrant safety. Wang acknowledged the contracting issue falls outside the scope of the ordinance and must be addressed separately.

The Quorum Crisis

The most dramatic moment came from Councilmember Houston, who identifies as both Black and Latino. Houston delivered an emotional statement about wanting both sides of his family protected equally, then briefly left the dais — threatening to break the three-member quorum needed to act.

"I want both sides of my family taken care of," Houston said. "I have DACA relatives. I have undocumented relatives and I have Black relatives. I want both of them took care of equally."

Houston pressed his colleagues to pursue simultaneous action addressing harm to Black communities — from police oversight failures to homelessness to gentrification — before he would vote.

Councilmember Rowena Brown pushed back on the framing. "I just don't see this as an either-or approach. I think that it's both-and, and additional things. Because the truth of the matter is, across our communities, we have to do more," she said, referencing ongoing reparations work at the state level.

Wang appealed directly to Houston: "If we wait to address both sides of the family, that means we're going to be waiting here for another year. But why don't we first pass this and then let's move with urgency to address the other side of your family."

Houston returned to the dais and voted yes.

The other side: Public commenter Assata Olubala was removed from chambers after repeated disruptions, arguing the council has failed to protect Black residents from police brutality for 23 years while now rushing to protect immigrants. Romaine Charity of the Oakland Alliance Against Racist and Political Oppression supported the ordinance but said it doesn't go far enough, arguing it should explicitly prohibit OPD from providing crowd or traffic control for ICE operations. Multiple speakers also pressed for clarity on what happens to city employees who violate the ordinance.

Decisions: Passed 3-0 (For: Brown, Houston, Wang; Absent: Fife). Forwarded to the July 7 City Council on consent with amendments.

What's next: The ordinance goes to the full City Council on July 7 on the consent calendar. Separately, community groups are pressing the council to agendize a discussion of OPD protocols for encountering ICE agents, and to begin a process evaluating the Flock ALPR contract.

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Street Closures Target Sex Trafficking Near Franklin Elementary

The basics: A resolution authorizing six-month temporary closure of 9th, 10th, and 11th Avenues between International Blvd. and 15th Street aims to disrupt sex trafficking using Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, or CPTED — physically blocking the routes buyers use to access victims. The $98,000 pilot is funded by Wang's discretionary council funds and will use water-filled barriers, with data collection by OPD and OakDOT. AC Transit, the Oakland Fire Department, and OPD were consulted on the specific intersections.

Why it matters: The area around Franklin Elementary has lost institutions and enrollment to the visible presence of sex trafficking. The pilot draws on two precedents: Oakland's own East 15th Street diverter project and a corridor closure in Houston, Texas, that produced a 98% reduction in solicitation arrests.

Where things stand: Community support was strong. David Kakishiba of the East Bay Asian Youth Center confirmed that after diverters were installed on East 15th, "sex trafficking was completely eliminated on that block within weeks." Liz Sullivan, a community organizer, noted that St. Anthony's School closed due to enrollment decline tied to the trafficking environment, and that a local clinic's client base is shrinking. Raymond Pisano, an East 15th resident, described how the diverters there transformed quality of life.

Councilmember Houston supported the effort but voiced concern about displacement. "It's appalling that our children have to see this. It's appalling that the girls are being sex trafficked like this," he said. "But I'm willing to help you try."

The other side: John Jones III warned the closure will push trafficking to other blocks, drawing on 52 years of personal knowledge of the area. Assata Olubala cited reports suggesting the East 15th barricades shuffled the problem rather than eliminating it, and raised emergency response and traffic congestion concerns. Wang acknowledged the displacement risk, stating the pilot is coupled with enforcement against traffickers and johns and exit services for victims, and that she sought additional budget funding for broader coverage.

Megan from OakDOT outlined the data collection plan and confirmed coordination with transit and emergency services on intersection selection.

Decisions: Passed 3-0 (For: Brown, Houston, Wang; Absent: Fife). Forwarded to the July 7 City Council as a public hearing, as required by California Vehicle Code Section 21101.4.

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Sideshow Ordinance Shelved as Houston Challenges the Terminology

The committee withdrew an ordinance that would have increased sideshow penalties, broadened motor vehicle definitions, and strengthened impoundment authority under Oakland Municipal Code Chapter 10.74. The item was pulled from the agenda at the scheduling phase and formally moved to the pending list with no date specific.

Three speakers still addressed the item. John Jones III provided historical context, noting sideshows have existed in Oakland since 1986 at Eastmont Mall and that decentralizing them pushed events into residential neighborhoods. Assata Olubala focused on young observers who block intersections and vandalize property. Blair Beekman raised equity concerns about vehicle impoundment.

Councilmember Houston delivered the sharpest remarks, drawing a line between the Bay Area's historic car culture and what happens on Oakland streets today. "I feel insulted when they say sideshow. These aren't sideshows," Houston said. "When I was growing up, Eastmont Mall, it wasn't the vandalism that's happening out here. This destruction we were showing."

Decisions: Withdrawn 3-0 (For: Brown, Houston, Wang; Absent: Fife). Moved to the pending list with no return date.

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Four Police Chief Finalists Forwarded to Mayor; Process Draws Transparency Questions

Daniel Hahn, a former Sacramento and Roseville police chief now consulting for Ralph Anderson and Associates, reported that the police chief position was posted nationally on Feb. 20 and closed March 30, drawing 18 applicants. The Police Commission's ad hoc committee conducted six community forums across Oakland — at 81st Avenue Library, East Bay Church of Religious Science, Amani Church, Franklin Fruitvale Library, DeFremery Park, and Oakland Asian Cultural Center — plus an online survey and more than 25 stakeholder interviews.

Community priorities included a well-managed department with fiscal accountability, staffing and retention, constitutional policing and exiting the negotiated settlement agreement, faster 911 response, and reducing violent crime. The ad hoc committee selected 10 candidates for interviews and forwarded four finalists to the mayor on May 28. Candidate names remain confidential.

Houston pressed Hahn on diversity. "What question did you ask this chief? These top ones about diversity, because Oakland is diverse to a whole nother level," he said. Hahn described how the process assesses innovation by examining candidates' track records: "If they really did something innovative in some areas, there's probably several articles about it, so you can see if they really did it or not."

Public commenters raised process concerns. Rajni Mandal questioned whether the charter structure serves Oakland well, noting this is the second consecutive lengthy recruitment and citing a 2020 city auditor recommendation to review the Police Commission's role in selecting chiefs. Assata Olubala noted the current process lacks the transparency of the previous recruitment, in which finalists were publicly interviewed.

Decisions: Informational report received and filed 3-0 (For: Brown, Houston, Wang; Absent: Fife).

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Flock Contract Under Pressure From Organized Community Push

Across multiple agenda items, speakers from ACE, Faith in Action, Asian Pacific Environmental Network, and other organizations called for canceling Oakland's contract with Flock, the automated license plate reader company. Speakers argued Flock data has been accessed by ICE in other jurisdictions and that maintaining the contract contradicts the sanctuary framework the council just advanced.

Blair Beekman noted the city is at month six of the final 18-month Flock contract and urged starting a community process to evaluate alternatives — or whether to continue using the technology at all. Madeline Stacy also called for canceling contracts with Peregrine and Cellebrite, two other surveillance-adjacent vendors.

Wang acknowledged the issue but said it falls outside the sanctuary ordinance's scope and must be addressed through separate council action. No timeline has been set.

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Minor Items

• June 9 committee minutes approved 3-0.
• Committee scheduling action approved 3-0, with the sideshow ordinance amendment formally moved to the pending list.
• Open forum speakers raised additional concerns: Millie Cleveland of the Coalition for Police Accountability urged respect for the Police Commission's authority, noting it was created with 80% voter approval. Ann Jenks questioned why topics raised in community forums — alternate response models, foot patrols — have never appeared on the Public Safety Committee agenda. Rajni Mandal reported OPD now has 21 trained Skelly hearing officers with shorter wait times, but noted SIPRA was not consulted before its $200,000 funding was removed.