March 27, 2024: IRC Executive Committee meeting

We, the San Francisco Immigrant Rights Commission, acknowledge that we are on the unceded ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone who are the original inhabitants of the San Francisco Peninsula. As the indigenous stewards of this land and in accordance with their traditions, the Ramaytush Ohlone have never ceded, lost nor forgotten their responsibilities as the caretakers of this place, as well as for all peoples who reside in their traditional territory. As guests, we recognize that we benefit from living and working on their traditional homeland. We wish to pay our respects by acknowledging the ancestors, elders and relatives of the Ramaytush Community and by affirming their sovereign rights as First Peoples.

This item is to allow members of the public to address the Commission on matters that are within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Commission and that do not appear on today’s agenda.

(Discussion/Action)
Discussion and possible action to approve the minutes of the Immigrant Rights Commission’s Executive Committee meeting of February 28, 2024.

(Discussion/Action)
a) Language Access Ordinance and Language Access Compliance Report Hearing
This item allows Director Rivas to provide an update on the upcoming Language Access Ordinance and Language Access Compliance Report hearing and allows the Executive Committee to discuss and take possible action. Director Rivas reshared the proposed amendments with the Full Commission, and received feedback from Commissioners Abdou and Qiu.

b) IRC Awards Committee Update
This item allows OCEIA staff and Awards Committee Co-Chairs Ricarte and Obregon to provide an update on nominations and planning for the Immigrant Leadership Awards. 

c) IRC Strategic Planning Retreat Follow-Up
This item allows the Chair and Director Rivas to discuss follow-up actions from the IRC Strategic Planning Retreat on March 11, 2024. Commissioners identified newcomers and workforce development as their top two priorities for the year, and discussed activities to move them forward. The Commission did not vote on its action plan due to a lack of quorum.

d) Follow-Up from IRC Special Hearing on Workforce Development
This item allows Director Rivas to invite the Executive Committee to remove, modify, or add recommendations, and take possible action. Clerk Shore drafted the recommendations based on testimony by community members during the October 30, 2023 hearing called by Commissioner Souza. During the January Executive Committee meeting, Commissioners suggested several changes, including adding a list of resources. OCEIA staff edited the document and presented the updated version to the Executive Committee at its February meeting. Chair Kennelly deferred this item to allow Vice Chair Chaudhary and Commissioner Paz to provide their feedback before the Executive Committee votes to finalize the document.

e) Proposed Letter on Budget Priorities
This item allows Commissioner Obregon to propose issuing a letter regarding the City’s budget priorities and allows the Executive Committee to discuss and take possible action. This item was introduced during New Business at the Full Commission’s January 8, 2024 meeting. Commissioner Obregon has written a draft letter. Director Rivas suggested that the Commission’s retreat discussion help inform its content.

f) Follow-up Actions from IRC Hearing on Immigrant Perspectives on Housing in San Francisco 
This item allows Commissioner Souza to update the Executive Committee on her latest draft of the report on the IRC’s hearing on housing. During the April 26, 2023 Executive Committee meeting, Director Rivas asked Commissioner Souza to restructure the document so that it begins with the introduction and recommendations, followed by the minutes from the hearing as an addendum. At the February 28, 2024 Executive Committee meeting, Commissioner Souza provided an overview of her latest draft and Director Rivas said he would meet with her to discuss it.

g) Proposed Resolution on Affordable Housing
This item allows Commissioner Souza to propose issuing a resolution on affordable housing, and allows the Executive Committee to discuss and take possible action. This item was introduced during New Business at the Full Commission’s January 8, 2024 meeting, and Commissioner Souza has written a draft resolution.

h) Proposed Statement on DACA and Sanctuary City
This item allows the Executive Committee to discuss, and take possible action on, issuing a statement affirming the Commission’s support for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and San Francisco’s sanctuary status. On September 13, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas found the DACA final rule to be unlawful, and the case is expected to reach the U.S. Supreme Court. During the October 25, 2023 IRC Executive Committee meeting, Chair Kennelly suggested that the statement include a reference to the Commission’s hearing on workforce development. On October 30, 2023, the Full Commission voted to empower the Commission Chair to issue a statement.

i) Proposed Statement on Expansion of Medi-Cal
This item allows Commissioner Paz to propose issuing a statement on the expansion of Medi-Cal to all California residents, regardless of immigration status, and allows the Executive Committee to discuss and take possible action. Commissioner Paz introduced this item under New Business during the January 22, 2024 Executive Committee meeting, and volunteered to draft a statement.

(Information)
a) Director’s Updates
Report on OCEIA and IRC activities and announcements. This item allows the OCEIA Director to provide brief updates on activities and announcements. If the Commission would like a full report, we can place that matter on the agenda for a future meeting.

b) Oath Ceremony for New and Reappointed Commissioners
Four Commissioners were reappointed and two new Commissioners were appointed by the Board of Supervisors.

c) Statements of Economic Interests (Form 700) 
Commissioners are required to complete their annual Statements of Economic Interest (Form 700) by April 2, 2024.
 

(Information)
This item is to allow Commissioners to provide updates on items the Commission has previously discussed, and to introduce new agenda items for future consideration by the Commission.