HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-15-2012 Ad Hoc Diversity Committeea r ,
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AGENDA od My Of
CITY OF IOWA CITY &A
AD HOC DIVERSITY COMMITTEE
INFORMATION GATHERING SESSION
NOVEMBER 15, 2012
6:00 -8:00 PM
IOWA CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY, ROOM A
123 South Linn Street, IC
ITEM NO. 1 CALL TO ORDER & ROLL CALL
ITEM NO. 2 INTRODUCTION OF BOARD, OVERVIEW OF SESSION AND
PURVIEW OF THE BOARD
ITEM NO. 3 PUBLIC DISCUSSION
ITEM NO. 4 CONSIDER MOTION TO ACCEPT CORRESPONDENCE AND /OR
DOCUMENTS
ITEM NO. 5 ADJOURNMENT
1 would like to thank you for coming to the Diversity Committee's Information Gathering Session. My
name is Kingsley Botchway and I am the chair of the Committee. The co -chair is Cindy Roberts and
Members are: Bakhit Bakhit, Joe Coulter, LaTasha Massey, Orville Townsend, Sr., and Joan Vanden
Berg.
On June 19, 2012 the City Council created an Ad Hoc Diversity Committee: 1) to study the operation
of the City's transit system, including but not limited to the downtown interchange as it relates to
minority populations and 2) to study the operations of the City law enforcement, including but not
limited to the Police Citizens Review Board (PCRB) as it relates to minority populations. Tonight we
will be discussing these issues and these issues only. This is merely an information gathering session
to enable issues to be submitted to the Diversity Committee. Committee Members may ask questions
to the presenter but merely to clarify the issue. Each presenter will have 3 minutes to present their
comments.
Please let me know if you have any questions before tive get started If not, I'd ask the first presenter
to cone forward introduce yourself and provide your name and address so that the Committee can
contact yon in the futtzn•e if need be. Any information you Irish to provide is important to its and will
be discussed by the Committee during our futture meetings.
Marian Rarr
From. Karen Kubby <kubby @pobox.com>
c4nt. Thursday November 08, 2012 11:13 AM
Marian Karr
bubject: ad -hoc diversity committee
Marianne,
Below is a message I sent to the County Sheriff, County Attorney, and Supervisors Sullivan and Rettig. I believe they are
relevant to the feedback requested by the Ad Hoc Diversity Committee regarding law enforcement in our community.
Please share this with the committee. Many thanks.
Karen Kubby
I know there is much discussion going on about the next move to create an expanded jail and larger and more secure
courtrooms. I believe it would be a huge mistake to wait, change nothing, not collaborate with those opposed, and put
this back on the ballot in 6 months or so.
I don't believe it is only a matter of making sure people understand the reality data about who is currently in jail, for
what,.and for how long. This is a grand opportunity to do the hardest work a community can do. That work is to be
willing to see if there are racial disparities in how laws are enforced and make systemic changes to prevent that and
coach /encourage personal work of each worker around race and privilege issues, as well as community members.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Non - violence has a whole division of people who work on these issues in the law
enforcement area, with veteran officers who offer training and support for this sensitive and critical work. We have
11 folks who do this work who can help the larger community.
The silver lining of not getting to 60% is that there is an opportunity to engage in this work with the support of the
community. If these efforts are made, on top of continued education about reality data and continued great work
started on mental health services and jail diversion programs, I believe the justice center can be built without larger
community support.
Thanks for reading through this. These words are offered with sincere appreciation for the issues involved and the hard
work ahead.
With great respect,
Karen Kubby
Beadology Iowa
Jewelry, Beads, Instruction
220 E. Washington Street
Iowa City, IA 52240
(319) 338 -1566 ph
(319) 688 -2847 fax
www.beadologyiowa.com
Marian Karr
From:
Renee Speh <reneespeh @gmail.com>
Sent:
Sunday, November 11, 2012 6:14 AM
To:
Marian Karr
Subject:
city transit forum
I will be unable to attend this forum for family reasons but am so glad you are pursuing this question.
I have heard several times over the last few years that students at City High School who live south of Highway
6 must take the city bus downtown to get between home and school. They live too far from school to reasonably
walk but too close for ICCSD to provide school buses. It seems to me that those students are spending an hour
or two each day waiting for or on the bus when they could be using that time to study, work, or volunteer. This
appears highly unfair to those living in that part of the city, which includes a high proportion of minorities and
lower income families. This is a barrier to success.
Although I think the ICCSD should consider running a bus for students that far from the high school, the city
should consider running a bus north and south at least during school start and finish times to accommodate
those students' needs. Perhaps a partnership between ICCSD and city?
We can look at what this situation causes and what a change could create, from a perspective of how it would
impact any student, not just those of minority populations. They would be able to spend more time on important
things that will benefit their education and graduation likelihood, like homework. They would have more
motivation to attend school; I imagine this transit problem is a large barrier to continuing to attend school if
some kids are at risk for quitting already. They would have more equitable opportunity if they had more control
of their time and had more of it, like students who live near the school or receive school busing. They would be
on a more equal level socially and in our community; the current situation makes it obvious to the community
that they are disadvantaged in this way and it provides a separation between those who have adequate
transportation and those who do not.
Another issue to focus on is making sure city transit is easily available between large concentrations of minority
families and lower income families and potential places of employment and the university. It should be easy to
get to work or school so that people have more opportunity for success. This benefits everyone in the
community and reduces separation between population groups.
Thank you so much for asking this question. I hope many attend and you are able to come up with some viable
solutions that promote fairness and opportunity.
-Renee Speh
Police Legal
Sciences Inc.
November 15, 2012
L-)i i bu fe ;L I1 -1S -1�
Ad Hoc Diversity Committee
c/o City Clerk
City of Iowa City
410 E. Washington St.
Iowa City, IA 52240
RE: ICPD and Multipurpose I.D. Card
To members of the Ad Hoc Diversity Committee:
I am a resident of Iowa City and the director of Police Legal Sciences, Inc. (PLS), a public safety
training company. PLS provides monthly, online training lessons for the Iowa City Police
Department (ICPD) and the Johnson County Emergency Communication Center (JECC). I am
writing: a) to share what I have observed about how the ICPD is addressing some of the
diversity issues in our community; and b) to make a recommendation that the city provide its
residents, citizens and foreign nationals alike, the opportunity to obtain a city- issued I.D. card.
ICPD:
1. In March of each year since 2008 every commissioned officer has been required to take a
one -hour lesson entitled "Biased -Based Policing," a lesson, updated each year, designed to
address the unconstitutional practice of racial profiling. Any officers failing to pass a
competency test on the material must re -take the entire lesson until they pass the test.
2. In June of 2012 each officer was required to take a one -hour lesson on federal immigration
law and pass a competency test over the material. The lesson addressed the fimdamentals of
immigration law with an emphasis on the necessity of each officer to exercise appropriate
discretion. This lesson was a response to the President's and the Immigration and Customs
Enforcement Director's directives to federal agents to exercise "prosecutorial discretion."
3. For several years the ICPD has gathered statistical information on every vehicle stop and
warrantless search performed by its officers in an effort to expose any tendencies by officers to
exercise their discretion based on a motorist's or passenger's race.
4. In response to the expressed needs of minorities residing in the southeast area of town,
the Iowa City Council supported the ICPD in establishing a sub - station in a strip mall off of
Highway 6. At a recent community dinner hosted by Royceamr Porter at a facility in southeast
Iowa City called "The Spot," I heard first -hand reports from residents of the neighborhood and
the manager of the facility about how greatly improved relationships between residents in that
neighborhood and police had become. Chief Hargadine and Officer Jorey Bailey were singled
out as having played major roles in this development.
319 -651 -5001
PO Boa 0052
602 W. Main Street
Washington, 1A 52353 -0052
City- Issued Multipurpose I.D. Cards:
I recommend that an initiative be undertaken to implement a city- issued identification card for
residents of Iowa City. This recommendation is based on the successful implementation of
similar programs and its positive impact on minority populations in other communities in the
U.S.
In 2007, as part of a larger effort to address significant immigration issues, the city of New
Haven, Connecticut established a program in which residents were able to obtain a multipurpose
identification card. Attached to this letter is an article on the New Haven project, a project that
has now been operating for more than five years. Other municipalities have or are developing
resident cards including San Francisco (CA), Oakland (CA), Richmond (CA), Trenton (NJ),
Asbury Park (NJ), Mercer County (NJ) and Washington, D.C. See,
http:// www. newhavenindependent .org/index.plip /archives /entry /id card anniversary/
http://www.sfgov2.org/index.aspx?page=l 10
http: / /www.nytimes.com/ 2010 /05 /17 /nyregion/I 7idcard.html ?pagewanted =all
I believe that if a similar card were available to the residents of Iowa City it would: a) reduce the
need for police officers to take crime victims and witnesses of certain ethnic minorities into
custody, handcuff them and place them in detention simply for the purpose of identifying them;
b) provide certain crime victims who are members of minorities access to the services of police
officers without risking horrific consequences to themselves and their families; c) provide people
with access to banking services that presently do not have such access because they do not have
sufficient identification to open an account; d) reduce crime by reducing the population of people
most susceptible to robberies and burglaries (i.e. ones whose currency must be kept at home or
on their persons); e) increase access to any community services for which a reliable identification
card is required; f) constitute alignment with the very recent national, bi- partisan, political
pronouncements about inevitable immigration reform; and g) promote "community." The cost
for the cards in New Haven are $5 for children and $10 for adults. In Richmond (CA) the
program is administered by a third -party vendor at no cost to the city.
Conclusion. I believe there is compelling evidence that the Iowa City Police Department has
been proactive in its efforts to better serve and protect minority populations in Iowa City. I
believe a city - issued, multipurpose LD. card for Iowa City residents would enhance the quality
of life for everyone in our community.
Respectfully Submitted,
# . artridge, D ector
Emerging Issues in Community Development and Consumer Affairs
Inside
Data Corner 8
Community Affairs
News to
Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
2008 Issue 1
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By Kzca Matos
Cities are addressing the challenges
posed by illegal immigration in
different ways. This article describes
some of the policy choices made by
the City of New Haven.
As the national debate over immigra-
tion reform continues, cities with sizable
immigrant populations are responding to
the issue of illegal immigration in a number
of different and sometimes controver-
sial ways. Some cities have responded by
enacting ordinances to encourage the flight
of illegal immigrants, while others have
sought ways to engage and integrate this
population. In 2004, the City of New Haven
began to actively collaborate with its immi-
grant population for the purpose of finding
ways to increase public safety and integrate
immigrant residents into the civic life of
the community.
Over the last few years the city has
implemented a series of public policy initia-
tives. The program that has generated the
most attention is the Elm City Resident
Card, a multipurpose identification card that
can be of use to any city resident, irrespec-
tive of status.' The card, launched in July
2007, was created to address several areas
of concern in the immigrant community:
public safety, access to financial services,
access to government services, and knowl-
One of the many New Haven residents to obtain the new
ID, Mayor John DeStefano, shows his card. Illustration by
Joe Guidry.
edge about individual rights and civil
liberties. This article outlines the genesis and
implementation of the resident card program
and provides an update on the status of the
policy initiative.
Background
Over the last several decades, Connecticut has
experienced a significant surge in the immigrant
population. Currently, one in eight residents of the
state is foreign born, reflecting a 61 percent increase
in the size of the foreign -born population over a
decade since 1990, and a 21 percent rise over the
last six years. It is estimated that by the year 2025,
the population will double, with the state gaining
an additional 337,000 residents from outside of the
country. Immigrants are the fastest growing segment
of the population in Connecticut. In the city of
New Haven, between 1990 and 2000 there was a
43 percent increase in the foreign -born population.
Currently there are 127,288 city residents, an esti-
mated 17 percent of whom are foreign born. As with
the rest of the state, residents from Latin America
constitute the biggest group (38 percent) of foreign -
born residents in the city.
Undocumented immigrants are also a part of the
immigration narrative in Connecticut. A 2005 U.S.
Census report estimates that there are approximately
70,000 undocumented immigrants in the state,
comprising 20 percent of the foreign -born popula-
tion. In New Haven, there are an estimated 10,000
to 15,000 undocumented immigrants, which means
that about 10 percent of the city's population is made
up of residents without status.
The rapid increase in the immigrant population
in recent years presents the city with a number ofchal-
lenges and opportunities, particularly as it relates to
the undocumented population. These undocumented
residents face the traditional obstacles confronted by
immigrants (language barriers, cultural differences,
barriers to educational attainment, low -wage work),
as well as additional problems uniquely tied to their
lack of status, including difficulty accessing financial
institutions, victimization, scams promising citizen-
ship, and exploitation in housing, employment, and
other areas affecting quality of life. To compound
matters, undocumented immigrants are often afraid
to report violators for fear of deportation.
For city governments across the country, these
problems present themselves as issues of public safety
and community integration. For cities with sizable
immigrant populations, the need to respond is para-
mount, and municipalities have approached the
challenges posed by illegal immigration in different
ways. The City of New Haven decided to work in
partnership with its immigrant population to address
these problems.
2 Community Developments
Engaging Immigrants
In 2004, the City of New Haven and the New
Haven Police Department began to focus on ways
to strengthen local government's ability to effectively
manage the influx of new populations. The city
engaged in a series of dialogues with members of the
immigrant community and immigrant rights orga-
nizations about public safety and ways to strengthen
the relationship between the city and the immigrant
community. The New Haven Police Department, in
partnership with community-based organizations
and a local church, held separate dialogues with the
community about policing issues. These interactions
culminated in the submission of an October 2005
report written by Junta for Progressive Action, New
Haven's oldest Latino community-based organiza-
tion, and Unidad Latina en Acci6n, a New Haven
grassroots immigrant rights organization. This report
outlined six policy initiatives for the city to consider
that would increase "public safety at the same time
as improving the effectiveness of local government."
Among the initiatives listed were the following:'
1) develop a New Haven Police Department
policy of nonenforcement of federal civil
immigration laws consistent with the city's
policy of community policing;
2) strengthen the relationship between the
police and the immigrant community;
3) enforce state criminal wage laws through the
New Haven Police Department;
4) create a municipal ID card for residents of
the City of New Haven;
5) work with financial institutions to allow
customers to open bank accounts without
Social Security numbers;' and
6) create an Office of Immigrant Affairs.
After the city received the report it explored the
proposals' feasibility and legality. Concomitantly, the
Board of Aldermen's Human Services Committee
held a series of public hearings to examine issues
affecting the immigrant population and explore
recommendations put forth by city residents. After
doing its due diligence and at the urging of Mayor
John DeStefano, the city set about implementing
the initiatives. The New Haven Police Department
began developing a nonenforcement policy, working
with community groups to improve relations between
the police and the community, and exploring models
to facilitate their enforcement of criminal wage laws.
iiOt11 ;19411
lull =1 t ijA
The city initiated discussions with banks about ways
to facilitate access to bank accounts for the city's
unbanked populations, to protect their safety (see
below) and promote their ability to build wealth. By
the summer of 2006, the only two items that had
not yet been tackled were the creation of a munic-
ipal ID card and the establishment of an Office of
Immigrant Affairs. A tragic incident in the fall of
2006 would change this.
In October 2006, an undocumented immigrant
by the name ofManuel Santiago was stabbed to death
in Fair Haven, a neighborhood with a large Latino
immigrant population. Santiago was the victim of
a botched robbery. His story and the circumstances
behind his killing touched a nerve with the immigrant
community and created considerable community
sentiment about the need for additional public safety
measures to protect vulnerable immigrants.
Like many residents of Fair Haven, Santiago
originally hailed from Mexico. He was 36 years old
and worked at a local bakery. He had moved to New
Haven in 2001 to join his brother and earn enough
money to be able to send some home to support his
mother. Because he was undocumented and did not
have easy access to financial services, Santiago, like
many others in the neighborhood, was a "walking
ATM " —a term used for undocumented immigrants
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P ®L CE
who, because they carry cash on their person, make
them an easy and likely target for robbers. While
Santiago was cashing his paycheck, a robber lay in
wait. When Santiago resisted the robbery, he was
stabbed to death.
Santiago's death galvanized the Fair Haven
community; advocates, immigrants, and supporters
alike called for the city to increase its efforts to
protect immigrants. Unidad Latina en Acci6n orga-
nized a press conference at City Hall and renewed
its call for the city to implement the resident card
program, which would help immigrant access to
banks and obviate the need to carry large sums of
cash. The group met with Mayor DeStefano, who
subsequently directed the city's Community Services
Administration to work on the creation of a munic-
ipal ID card program.
Overview of the
Elm City Resident Card
As originally conceived, the Elm City Resident Card
was to address three primary issues of concern to the
immigrant community:
• Public Safety. A lack of access to official U.S.
government- issued identification made it
Federal Reserve Bank of Boston 3
difficult for immigrants to open bank accounts
and access financial services; and because they
work primarily in a cash economy, immi-
grants were frequent targets of robberies and
burglaries. A lack of identification and their
undocumented status also made them reluc-
tant to report crimes and/or serve as witnesses.
To further complicate matters, immi-
grants expressed a general reluctance about
contacting the police in any situation in which
they were either a victim or witness for fear
of deportation.
• Lack of Access to Services. Immigrants and
service providers workingwith them articulated
the general absence or lack of understanding by
new immigrants of ways to access government
services and information about government.
Providers stressed the inability of community-
based organizations to handle the increasing
needs of the immigrant community and called
for greater communication between the city
and immigrant residents.
• Marginalization. Immigrants and providers
identified a sense of marginalization and
disorientation among some immigrants
resulting from language and cultural barriers,
immigration status, lack of familiarity with
the city and its neighborhoods, and a lack of
knowledge about individual rights and civil
liberties. Some immigrants confirmed that
they and their peers rarely ventured beyond
the Fair Haven neighborhood and most did
not know whether or not laws protecting city
residents applied to them.
After determining that the City of New Haven
had the legal authority to issue municipal IDs, the
Community Services Administration proceeded
4 Community Developments
to design a card that would address immigrant
concerns regarding safety and access to institutions,
be appealing to the city population at large, and be
able to meet security standards that would give
the card legitimacy with city and banking institu-
tions. New Haven tackled these concerns in the
following ways:
1) Safety and Access. The city sought to create a
card thatwouldfacilitate access to cityservices
and financial institutions. It engaged local
banks, in partnership with the Connecticut
Bankers Association, in dialogue to address
concerns about the security of the proposed
ID card and authentication of documents.
The Bankers Association hosted a forum
where the city presented its ID card program
and took questions from banks.
2) Broad -Based Appeal. Immigrant advo-
cates stressed the need for the card to have
appeal beyond the immigrant population;
otherwise, undocumented immigrants
could be easily identified by virtue of their
cardholder status. Exploratory efforts were
made to determine whether an ID card/
debit card could be created in partnership
with MasterCard, Visa, or another similar
financial institution. This was not possible,
however, because of the limits that would be
placed on the amount of text that could go
on the card and because card ownership
would not remain with the city. The city
decided to go with a debit card supplied by
Parcxmart, a smart card and patent - pending
Payment system.
3) Security Standards. The city worked to
create a card with security features that would
make it difficult to forge; it created a training
program for staff around authentication of
documents; and it patterned the require-
ments for obtaining an ID card on those
used by the U.S. Department of Treasury to
obtain an Individual Taxpayer Identification
Number (ITIN) account.
The result was the creation of the Elm City
Resident Card, a secure, multipurpose resident card
available to all city residents, irrespective of their
immigration status. The card's multiple features
include the following:
1) ID Card. The card includes a resident's
photo, name, address, date of birth, date of
issue and expiration, and the cardholder's
signature. Each card has an identifying nine-
digit number.
2) Library Card. The card can be used to access
any of the city's six public libraries.
3) Debit Card. The adult card has a debit chip
in the reverse side that allows holders to load
up to $150 that can be used to pay for city
parking meters and garages, and to purchase
goods at about 50 participating stores.
4) Access to City Services. The card provides
access to the Recycling Center and gives
holders residential rates for the public beach
and golf course. More recently, it has been
used to determine resident eligibility for
a public works program to discard large
electronic products and for flu shots being
dispensed at City Hall.
5) Kid Card. A separate children's card gives
parents or guardians the option oflisting both
emergency contact and allergy information.
The card's numerous security features include
UV text script, a faded city seal, a halftone photo,
text script on the applicant's photo, and a custom -
made Parcxmart debit -chip card. The cost is $10
for adults and $5 for children. The First City Fund
Corporation made a grant available to the city to
support the program for a one -year period.
The Politics of the ID card
In order for the program to launch, legislative
approval was required, including a favorable vote
from the Finance Committee and a majority vote
from the full Board of Aldermen. In preparation
for this, the Community Services Administration
engaged in community outreach and education
efforts, while simultaneously seeking input and feed-
back from members of the Board of Aldermen. To
that end, meetings were first held with the leadership
of the Board, followed by an informational session
of the full board, and individual conversations with
Aldermen needing additional information. In prep-
aration for the public hearing before the Finance
Committee, JUNTA, Unidad Latina en Accion, and
the St. Rose de Lima Church engaged community
members, encouraging broad -based participation in
support of this initiative by way of testifying at the
public hearing or attending the proceedings.
While there was some opposition to this initia-
tive, it came largely from Southern Connecticut
for Immigration Reform ( SCTIR), an anti - illegal
immigrant group with a small membership based
in North Branford. The group held a number of
sparsely attended rallies outside of City Hall, and
created a series of flyers that were widely distributed
throughout the city. On the Sunday before the final
vote of the Board of Aldermen, SCTIR produced
a flyer that was distributed outside of African
American churches and left under windshield wipers
of cars parked close to these churches.
As the city worked to obtain final approval
for the card, the program began to generate an
increasing amount of media attention, first local,
then statewide and national. Stories about the initia-
tive even prior to its launching appeared in the New
Haven Register, New Haven Independent, Hartford
Courant, New York Times, Christian Science
Monitor, The Washington Post, ABC, CNN, NBC,
Telemundo, and Univision as well as international
media outlets from Europe and Central and South
America. By the time the proposal was ready for
a legislative vote, it seemed as though the eyes of the
nation were on New Haven.
The public hearing before the —
Finance Committee was held on
May 17. Before a packed room in As the
the Aldermen's chambers, approxi- obtain fin
mately 40 city residents testified, the card,
the overwhelming majority in favor began t o
of the initiative. For the fourth
time in his 14 -year tenure, Mayor increasin g
DeStefano testified, stating: media
city worked to
al approval for
the program
generate an
amount of
attention, first
local, then statewide and
It is only through the recognition national. . .
of the value and worth of eacb one
among us, that we are able to ennploy By the time the
the skills, the strengtbs, and vision of
an entire community to the benefit of proposal was ready
an individual... Living among its for a legislative vote, it
today — silently, almost invisibly, are seemed as though the
some 12 million men, women, and eyes of the nation were
children ... they would not be here on New Haven.
but for the complicit permission of the
national government. Like the rest
Of us —they are not here by accident.
Federal Reserve Bank of Boston 5
So tonight we have a chance to end the silent complicity
in our nation —by taking action together, here in
New Haven ... We can do that by way of a funda-
mental acknowledgment of an individual's worth and
dignity —by giving a name to those among us. Not
to name them by a stereotype. Or by an ignorance. Or
a prejudice. Rather —to call our neighbor by their
own name.
After attaching several stipulations to the
proposal— including that the initiative is filnded
from outside sources and there be periodic reports of
the initiative —the Finance Committee unanimously
voted the proposal out of committee. On June 4, the
proposal came before the full Board of Aldermen.
After testimony from numerous Aldermen, the
board approved the initiative by a vote of 25 to 1.
New Haven understands that citizens
themselves benefit when all residents feel
they have a stake and are not pariahs.
Two days later, in the early hours of the morning,
Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted
a series of raids in the Fair Haven neighborhood. By
day's end, they had arrested and detained 32 individ-
uals. The timing of the raids, the way in which they
were conducted, and the individuals targeted suggest
that they were carried out in retaliation for the city's
resident card program. Notwithstanding, the city
resolved to continue with its effort to implement
the program, despite reservations about its success
following the raids.
Program Launching
During the month of June and the first few weeks
of July, the city worked on the final stages of the
program. A new office was created to house the
initiative, the Office of New Haven Residents. Its
mandate from the very beginning was to administer
the municipal ID card program as well as create addi-
tional programs and initiatives to assist new residents
arriving in the city.
On Tuesday, July 24, before a national audience,
the Elm City Resident Card program was officially
launched with a ribbon - cutting ceremony attended
by local elected officials, community leaders, and city
6 Community Developments
residents. Several hundred applicants turned out on
the first day of the program. The following day, a line
of applicants for the resident card program formed
before city hall opened its doors, and residents were
turned away because of capacity issues. By Friday
morning, the line stretched an entire city block, with
the first applicant standing in line at 4 a.m. City Hall
was forced to triple the number of available staff and
extend the office hours of operation.
Last October, the city launched a mobile unit,
which travels to different neighborhoods in order
to process card applications in community-based
settings. The mobile unit has visited faith -based
organizations, senior centers, and community-based
organizations. Plans are underway to visit schools
and homeless shelters.
Since the launching of the initiative, other cities
interested in replicating the program have reached
out to New Haven for information, guidance, and
support. Currently, legislation has been introduced
in San Francisco and New York City. Similar
efforts are taking place in Madison, Wisconsin, and
Lexington, Kentucky.
Opposition to the program has continued,
with the efforts of SCTIR and a local anti - illegal
immigrant newspaper focusing on trying to obtain
applicant records under the Freedom of Information
Act, They have so far been unsuccessful.
Efforts to encourage banks to accept the card
as a primary form of identification in order to allow
immigrant access to financial services continue.
To date, the following banks accept the card as a
secondary form of identification: Bank of America,
Chase, Citibank, and Sovereign Bank. Other
secondary forms of identification can include a
utility bill or major credit card. Applicants for a bank
account must first provide a primary state or federal
identification, which for undocumented immigrants
includes a valid passport or a consular ID card.
The Community Services Administration has been
working with the business clinic at Yale Law School
and the Connecticut Bankers Association to think
about ways to encourage all banks with branches
in New Haven to accept the card, and to transition
acceptance of the card as a primary form rather than
secondary. The Community Services Administration
is also planning to do additional research on how to
strengthen the financial services available to local
immigrant residents.
Conclusion
Currently, there are an estimated 12 million undoc-
umented immigrants living in the United States.
In the absence of comprehensive federal immigra-
tion reform, cities, towns, and states have enacted
measures to address the challenges posed by indi-
viduals without status. Beginning in 2004, the City
of New Haven has adopted policies that focus on
integrating immigrants into the larger community
and ensuring the public safety of all of its residents,
irrespective of their status. In an op -ed piece for the
New York Times (April 15, 2007) entitiled, "A Safe
Haven in New Haven," Michelle Wucker wrote:
New Haven understands that citizens themselves
benefit when all residents feel they have a stake and
are not pariahs. it place is far better off when people
want to come to it than f they are fleeing in fem; and
when practical solutions take precedence over mean -
spirited solutions.
While it is too early to measure the impact of
the Elm City Resident Card program, anecdotal
evidence suggests that it has resulted in improved
relations between law enforcement and the commu-
nity, led to the increased use of libraries and other
city services by immigrants, and helped immigrants
open bank accounts. The program has been very
popular with residents. The city had established a
goal of issuing 5,000 cards over a one -year period.
This target was reached within the first five months
of the program and, as of mid January 2008, 5,101
cards have been issued.
Kica Matos is the administrator of the Community Services
Administration at the City of New Haven.
Joseph Guidry created the ilhutmtions for this article.
Sources
A City to Model: Six Proposals for Protecting Public Safety and Improving
Relationships Between Immigrant Communities and the City of New
Haven, Junta for Progressive Action Inc. and Unidad Latina en
Acci6n, New Haven, October 2005.
Data Haven, an online community database for Greater New Haven
located at http: // research .yale.edu /datainitiative
Immigration Growth Presents Opportunitiesfor Connecticut, News
Release of Connecticut Voices for Children, New Haven, October 18,
2007.
Melia, Rafael, and Priscilla Canny. Immigration in Connecticut: A
Growing Opportunity, Connecticut Voices for Children, New Haven,
October 2007.
Testimony of Mayor John DeStefano before the Finance Committee
of the City of New Haven Board of Aldermen in favor of the Elm City
Resident Card Program, May 17, 2005.
2006 American Community Survey, http: / /www.census.gov /acs
Vinocur, Nicholas. By the People: Greater New Haven zoo ? Citizens
Forum Local Background Paper. Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of
Happiness as it Relates to Immigration, Gateway Community College,
New Haven, October 2007.
Endnotes
1 New Haven was nicknamed "The Elm City" after instituting the first public
tree planting program in America. The program eventually produced a canopy
of mature trees, including some large elms (wlkipedia).
2 A seventh initiative —the translation into Spanish of the most frequently
used city documents —was requested at a meeting with the Mayor. This was
the first initiative to be launched.
3 The federal government has authority over the creation and enforcement
of immigration laws.
4 This recommendation was aimed at helping banks understand that
federal and state laws do not require individuals to have Social Security
numbers to open a bank account, although laws requiring acceptable
ahem alive farms of identification do exist and should be enforced.
Federal Reserve Bank Of Boston 7