The Phoenix City Council on Wednesday is scheduled to consider a citizen’s petition aimed at stopping police from doing immigration enforcement.
City records say such a complex request should have come from within the government.
The petition was made by a longtime member of the activist group Poder in Action.
If approved, Phoenix police would end certain kinds of traffic stops, not enforce some minor offenses and release people cited for nonviolent crimes.
City staff recommend denying the request for several reasons.
But Councilwoman Anna Hernandez said it would protect undocumented people and mixed-status families already terrified of authorities.
“This is a resolution the community put together based on their lived experience. And that might not be the same lived experience of city staff,” Hernandez said.
Phoenix police recently issued a statement saying the department was not involved in local immigration raids.
Another reason city staff recommends denial, records say, is that much of the request is already covered by a long list of public safety reforms ordered last September.
Hernandez took office in April and she supports the request.
“Their (city staff) interpretation and my interpretation is different in this case. I think that there are opportunities for us as a city to do more,” Hernandez said.
