February 28, 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 January 22, 2024.

(Discussion/Action)

a) IRC Awards Committee
This item allows Awards Committee Co-Chairs Ricarte and Obregon and Commission Chair Kennelly to present an update on the first Awards Committee meeting and next steps.

b) IRC Annual Report
This item allows Director Rivas to present the IRC Annual Report written by OCEIA on the Commission’s work during 2023, and invite the Executive Committee to review, edit and approve the report’s recommendations.

c) IRC Strategic Planning Retreat
This item allows the Chair and Director Rivas to discuss plans for the IRC Strategic Planning Retreat scheduled for March 11, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. Clerk Shore sent Commissioners a pre-retreat survey asking Commissioners to identify their top priorities for the coming year.

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 last Executive Committee meeting, Commissioners suggested several changes, including adding a list of resources. Director Rivas asked Commissioners to prioritize the recommendations, and to send OCEIA staff any resources they would like added to the list by today’s meeting.

e) Follow-up Actions from IRC Hearing on Immigrant Perspectives on Housing in San Francisco (Commissioner Souza)
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 report so that it begins with the introduction and recommendations, followed by the minutes from the hearing as an addendum.

f) 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. During the January 22, 2024 Executive Committee meeting, Commissioner Souza volunteered to draft a resolution.

g) 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.

h) 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.

i) 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.

j) 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.

(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. Reappointment Hearings for Board-Appointed Commissioners

Four Board-appointed Commissioners are up for reappointment by the Board of Supervisors as of June 6, 2023.



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.