File a Sanctuary City Ordinance complaint

What to do if a City employee has helped enforce federal immigration law.

What to do

1. Contact us for an interview

To file a complaint, contact the Human Rights Commission to schedule an intake interview.

Human Rights Commission

25 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 800
San Francisco, CA 94102
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2. Tell us what happened

Bring any documentation about your complaint to the scheduled interview. We'll ask you questions about what happened. 

3. Hear back from us

We will send a letter of concern or a formal complaint to the department, agency, or commission your complaint is about. They must respond in writing.

Then we will contact you about mediation.

4. Participate in mediation

If mediation is successful and both parties reach an agreement, we will close the case.

If mediation doesn't work, we may conduct a formal investigation. We may issue a Director’s Finding of Non-Compliance with the Sanctuary City Ordinance based on evidence from the investigation.

We will send the Director's Finding to the Board of Supervisors and the Mayor’s Office. 

You can report without giving your name. But if you don’t give us your name, we can't ask you questions or tell you what happens.

Your Sanctuary City rights

Unless there's a specific legal requirement, City employees may not use City resources to:

  • Help any ICE investigation, detention, or arrest for civil violations of federal immigration law
  • Ask about immigration status on any application for City benefits, services, or opportunities
  • Limit City services or benefits based on immigration status
  • Provide information about the release status or personal information of any individual
  • Hold someone based on a civil immigration detainer after they're eligible for release from custody

For more information, read the City and County of Refuge ordinance.

Get help

Human Rights Commission

25 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 800
San Francisco, CA 94102

Phone

Last updated August 25, 2022