Formal Meeting · 25 March 2026

1. 0:00:58Please stand with me.
2. 0:01:05Dear wise and loving Father, thank you on behalf of all who are gathered here today.
3. 0:01:10We thank you for your many blessings and we thank you for life itself.
4. 0:01:13We also thank you for the freedoms that we enjoy in this great nation.
5. 0:01:17You have said that citizens should obey the governing authorities since you have established those very authorities to promote peace and order and justice.
6. 0:01:24And so I pray for our mayor, for the various levels of city officials, and in particular for this assembled council today.
7. 0:01:31I'm asking that you would grant them wisdom to govern, a sense of the true needs and welfare of our people, confidence in what is good, just, and right, the ability to work together in harmony, and for personal peace in their lives and joy in their work.
8. 0:01:46I pray for the agenda set before them today.
9. 0:01:48Please give them assurance of what would please you and what would benefit those who live and work in and around our beloved city of Phoenix.
10. 0:01:55It's in your most blessed name I pray.
11. 0:01:57Amen.

1. 0:02:06To the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible,

1. 0:05:46Mayor, I move approval of the minutes of the formal meeting of September 17th, 2025.
2. 0:05:53Second.

1. 0:10:16Yes.

1. 0:11:36Thank you.
2. 0:11:37My name is Feliciano Salinas.
3. 0:11:39Born and raised in Phoenix.
4. 0:11:41Actually went to Cesar Chavez High School.
5. 0:11:43Also attended, grew up with Cesar Chavez on 35th Avenue Baseline.
6. 0:11:49And I got a little statement here.
7. 0:11:52Good afternoon, Mayor and City Council.
8. 0:11:55My name is Feliciano Salinas, lifelong resident here in Phoenix, born and raised Phoenician.
9. 0:12:02I'm here today because something doesn't feel right.
10. 0:12:05We are here watching the decision impact our culture, our history, and our community be made too fast without a full independent investigation, without real public accountability.
11. 0:12:17And that should be concerning for everyone, regardless of politics.
12. 0:12:22This is bigger than one person.
13. 0:12:24This is about the process.
14. 0:12:26This is about truth.
15. 0:12:27In America, we believe in due process.
16. 0:12:30We don't believe in judgment.
17. 0:12:32We don't rewrite history based on incomplete information.
18. 0:12:36So I ask you, why hasn't there been an independent investigation?
19. 0:12:44Why are we moving forward without a full transparency?
20. 0:12:48and why is the public being asked to accept conclusions without seeing full facts?
21. 0:12:56Our community deserves better.
22. 0:12:58We deserve the truth over narratives.
23. 0:13:00We deserve transparency over speed.
24. 0:13:03We deserve leadership that listens before it decides.
25. 0:13:07I am here
26. 0:13:10I'm not here to divide.
27. 0:13:11I am here to ask for clarity.
28. 0:13:13Because once you make a decision like this, you can't take it back.
29. 0:13:18So today I ask you to pause, to do the right thing, to openly do what the people are asking you to.
30. 0:13:27Thank you.
31. 0:13:32Thank you.

1. 0:13:42Good afternoon, Jerry Van Gass.
2. 0:13:45This all seems a little surreal to me.
3. 0:13:49Most people in the valley here have no idea who Jesse Owens was and the fact that he lived his last nine years here, most famous track and field athlete in American history, who won four gold medals in front of Adolph Hitler in the 1936 Olympics.
4. 0:14:11He lived here, but he died down in the U of A hospital in Tucson.
5. 0:14:18The body came up here to South Mountain Mortuary and then lay in state at our state capitol.
6. 0:14:28That is rare for an individual, real rare.
7. 0:14:32That's how much he was revered.
8. 0:14:38You know, on baseline, the only thing named after him while he was alive came about because Councilman Calvin Good in 1978, they were constructing the first medical facility south of the Salt River.
9. 0:14:53And he went and asked Jesse if he could use his name to give it all kinds of credibility.
10. 0:14:59Well, Jesse didn't even hesitate because he knew how good that was for the public.
11. 0:15:09Baseline Road, Cesar Chavez Park is right down the road.
12. 0:15:14If you decide to go ahead with name changes, we recommend that it be named after Jesse Owens.
13. 0:15:22Thank you.

1. 0:35:29Yes.

1. 1:07:41Thank you, Mayor.
2. 1:07:42My name is Annette Musa and I'm attending today on behalf of the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to express our support of the Transparency Initiative.
3. 1:07:56Government overreach seldom happens in a single action.
4. 1:07:59It is a series of escalating actions intended to intimidate individuals, communities, and businesses.
5. 1:08:08We have seen the impact of such actions in other large cities.
6. 1:08:13It was a warning we cannot afford to ignore.
7. 1:08:17As members of the business community and the Phoenix community at large, we embrace rational responses to the issues and threats of the day.
8. 1:08:29This initiative is a promising approach to addressing and mitigating escalation of actions and practices
9. 1:08:38that threaten our city's wellbeing.
10. 1:08:41On behalf of the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, thank you to Mayor Gallego, council and Phoenix PD for working to stay ahead of escalation should it come closer to our front doors.
11. 1:08:57We look forward to regular reports on this work as well as how the business community can contribute to a safe and prosperous Phoenix.
12. 1:09:07Thank you for your time for this discussion.

1. 1:10:04Thank you.
2. 1:10:04Good afternoon, Mayor Gallego, Vice Mayor Hodge Washington, and Council.
3. 1:10:09I'm Melanie Reyes with the International Rescue Committee, and I'm here today in support of the Community Transparency Initiative.
4. 1:10:16We want to thank the city for meaningfully engaging refugee stakeholders and for incorporating many of the issues we raised in this framework.
5. 1:10:25We commend Mayor Gallego for convening a refugee roundtable with her settlement partners and for elevating refugee workforce contributions at the Aviation Business Summit.
6. 1:10:35We are also grateful to Vice Mayor Hodge Washington, Council Members Pastor, Hernandez, Guardado, and the City Manager's Office for your continued partnership and responsiveness.
7. 1:10:47Together, your leadership has created a space for collaboration at a time when it is deeply needed.
8. 1:10:53As the city continues to develop this initiative, we want to underscore the challenges refugee families are facing right now.
9. 1:11:01Since 1994, organizations like the IRC have partnered across Arizona to welcome refugees, individuals who have fled life-threatening persecution and are lawfully admitted to the United States after extensive vetting.
10. 1:11:16They are authorized to work immediately and over time become permanent residents and citizens contributing significantly to our economy and our communities.
11. 1:11:25But today many refugee families are living with fear and instability due to recent unprecedented federal policy changes.
12. 1:11:34We are seeing cuts to SNAP and Medicaid impacting families without green cards including children,
13. 1:11:41and increased risks of detention and deportation for those navigating their legal path to permanent status.
14. 1:11:48Without targeted investment in legal services, community education and basic needs, many families will remain at risk, forced to make high stakes decisions between food, rent and the legal and employment supports essential to their future.
15. 1:12:03We thank the city for its continued engagement and urge the inclusion of refugees and ongoing planning and implementation.

1. 1:12:11Thank you.

1. 1:12:23Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Council Members, thank you.
2. 1:12:25My name is Jamie Flessner, and I'm with the International Rescue Committee, and I'm speaking in alignment with the other speaker from the IRC.
3. 1:12:32I wanna focus on what refugees are experiencing day to day and what it takes for them to actually access support and remain stable.
4. 1:12:40We're seeing an increased need for basic support, food, housing assistance, employment services, healthcare, and mental health support as families navigate all these uncertainties.
5. 1:12:50Employment remains key to stability, but many families need additional support connecting to jobs and working with employers who clearly understand their circumstances, their status, and their unrestricted authorization to work.
6. 1:13:02For an example, an elderly client called me yesterday.
7. 1:13:06She asked what she's going to do about food because she no longer qualifies for SNAP.
8. 1:13:10She's also informed me that each family member in her four-person family was charged $900 for a green card application.
9. 1:13:16So she's unable to afford food, but also unable to afford the change of status application that would make her eligible again for SNAP.
10. 1:13:26The family is representative of many of our families.
11. 1:13:28They cannot afford to access legal services, yet their survival now depends on them doing so.
12. 1:13:35Community education is critical.
13. 1:13:37Right now, food and confusion are major barriers.
14. 1:13:40Families don't know what policies apply to them, whether or not it's safe to ask for services, or how changes to the federal programs affect their eligibility for the programs.
15. 1:13:49This means that even when families do qualify, they often do not seek the services they need for fear of the consequences of participating.
16. 1:13:57Families need clear, accurate information in languages they understand about their rights, available resources, and how to safely navigate the systems.
17. 1:14:06So then they are empowered to make the informed decisions for their own families.
18. 1:14:10Community education cannot stop with the families.
19. 1:14:13It must also reach stakeholders who serve refugees, including government agencies, faith-based organizations, and social service providers, who often lack the up-to-date guidance on rapidly evolving policies and need the support to serve the communities effectively.
20. 1:14:28Unfortunately, we are seeing a declining capacity among these refugee-serving organizations at the very moment the community needs are increasing.
21. 1:14:37Thank you for your time and consideration.

1. 1:14:45Good afternoon, Mayor Gallego.
2. 1:14:47Thank you to all of you to give me the opportunity to talk about the people that I serve.
3. 1:14:51My name is Francisca Gil.
4. 1:14:53I am the Community Integration Program Manager at LSS.
5. 1:14:58So I see we have helped resettle.
6. 1:15:00We have helped resettle many refugees.
7. 1:15:0360% of the refugees that have been coming to Phoenix has been resettled in Maricopa County, so it affects our city tremendously.
8. 1:15:15We are extremely worried.
9. 1:15:17We're very concerned.
10. 1:15:20These are very vulnerable people, people that have fled.
11. 1:15:24persecution and conflict under other home countries and they have been invited to resettle in this in the country they have gone through extensive vetting overseas before being lawfully admitted to the country and the most regular rigorous security vetting for immigrants and any other travelers to the US
12. 1:15:46And for decades, the refugee families in Arizona have been a significant contributor to the social, cultural, and economic fabric of our communities.
13. 1:15:55And I really want to speak from my heart.
14. 1:15:57I wrote this memo to you guys.
15. 1:16:00And as I was coming to talk to you, I was talking to one of our experts in the office about employment.
16. 1:16:10The people, a group of refugees had job interviews yesterday at the airport and they were not able to go to the airport because they were afraid.
17. 1:16:22They were afraid and we need to understand these people are working very hard to start a new life in the country.
18. 1:16:30Thank you.
19. 1:16:32Thank you.
20. 1:16:35Thank you.
21. 1:16:39Thank you.

1. 1:17:04We can talk afterwards maybe because I would like to keep the privacy and the confidentiality and I want to keep them safe.
2. 1:17:12But that's my main focus right now and I really appreciate your following up question and we're working on it to keep them safe.
3. 1:17:21Thanks.

1. 1:17:26Good afternoon council.
2. 1:17:33My name is Vanessa Martinez and I am a worker at ASU downtown.
3. 1:17:38I'm a constituent of district four.
4. 1:17:41I work as a cook and I'm a member of Unite Here Local 11.
5. 1:17:45I can say that right now we are living in scary times.
6. 1:17:48I remember there was a time before as well where I saw these same fear tactics being used.
7. 1:17:55I am a child of immigrants.
8. 1:17:58I would often fear that I would come home from school and I would find nobody at home, that my parents would have been deported.
9. 1:18:05I said goodbye to a lot of my friends and a lot of my family during ex-Sheriff Joe Arpaio's term.
10. 1:18:16This is a fear that I don't wish upon anyone else in Arizona or in any part of the world.
11. 1:18:23Right now, today, we are seeing ICE agents shooting people at random.
12. 1:18:29They are not checking our statuses.
13. 1:18:31They are violating our civil rights.
14. 1:18:34This initiative would track the real impact of immigration enforcement on our communities and make sure city workers are trained to respond appropriately.
15. 1:18:43That would give families more confidence to go out into public spaces.
16. 1:18:48Right now, you have the opportunity to give families like mine peace of mind.
17. 1:18:54Right now, you have been given the opportunity to join other cities in protecting its people.
18. 1:18:59I urge you to adopt the community transparency initiative and protect people on city property.
19. 1:19:06Thank you.

1. 1:19:24Good afternoon, Mayor and Councilmember.
2. 1:19:26Thank you for your leadership here in Phoenix.
3. 1:19:28I'd like to briefly highlight the contribution refugees are making and what is needed to sustain that success.
4. 1:19:35Refugees came to Phoenix with resilience and strong desire to work.
5. 1:19:40We consistently see them enter the working force quickly, filling critical roles in health care, support, hospitality, manufacturing, and other essential factors facing labor shortage.
6. 1:19:56One powerful reality is this.
7. 1:19:58Within a few years, many refugees become self-sufficient taxpayers.
8. 1:20:02They contribute more to the economy than the initial support that they receive.
9. 1:20:07They also strengthen our community.
10. 1:20:09They start small business, they support local economies, and they raise families whose students are succeeding in school and become part of Phoenix's future working force.
11. 1:20:18However, these sources depend on stability.
12. 1:20:22And right now, their stability is under pressure.
13. 1:20:25Some of them, they cannot even walk right now because they're scared.
14. 1:20:29They don't have SNAP benefits right now, and that creates immediate food insecurity for them.
15. 1:20:34It makes it harder for families to focus on employment.
16. 1:20:37They have to choose between rent or food right now.
17. 1:20:41When these three areas of food, healthcare and housing, are unstable, it lowers the workforce entry for them, increases the stress on families, and delays long-term self-sufficiency.
18. 1:20:52If we want refugees to continue contributing to a high level, we must protect this foundational support.
19. 1:20:59Because when their families are stable, they work, they contribute, and help drive the Phoenix growth.
20. 1:21:06Refugees are not a burden.
21. 1:21:08They are an investment.
22. 1:21:09And with the right policies in place, their success will continue to strengthen this city.
23. 1:21:14With the right support, refugee families don't just survive, they help Phoenix to thrive.
24. 1:21:19Thank you.

1. 1:21:45At this moment, they have...
2. 1:21:48Thank you very much.
3. 1:22:14There's no snap.
4. 1:22:15The work that they are doing, they're scared to go to work.
5. 1:22:19And now they are looking for food to survive.
6. 1:22:22Thank you so much.
7. 1:22:24Thank you.

1. 1:22:32Good evening.
2. 1:22:33Thank you Mayor Gallegos for this opportunity.
3. 1:22:37My name is Maribel Carrillo and I am from the District 5.
4. 1:22:41I want to talk about my experience with immigration.
5. 1:22:46I have three petitions in immigration and thanks to one of them I have a work permit.
6. 1:22:54But one of them, I've been waiting for 25 years next month, and I'm still waiting.
7. 1:23:02And people like me, there are too many.
8. 1:23:04Thanks God I have a work permit, I can drive, I can do a lot of things.
9. 1:23:09But there is something really important.
10. 1:23:12The immigrant community, which is a multicultural and multinational community, is being attacked by the federal government.
11. 1:23:21It's being used as a political tool since it is one of the Donald Trump's most popular initiatives.
12. 1:23:28We are being used as a distraction for all the negative activities he's carrying out.
13. 1:23:35Our communities are living in constant uncertainty and anxiety when the truth is that the immigration system is broken.
14. 1:23:45People like me, we are too many and looks like we don't have any right.
15. 1:23:51We can get
16. 1:23:52The pain for immigration, we need to know like we can contact, we have the tools to defend ourselves.
17. 1:24:02Because right now there is too much, too much pain in not only the Hispanic community, all the communities, people from all over the world.
18. 1:24:12And we need something, something to go and ask for help.
19. 1:24:17I know the government needs to detain the bad people.
20. 1:24:21There is a lot of good people and bad people.
21. 1:24:24We agree on that.
22. 1:24:26But we need to go somewhere and ask for protection, for help.
23. 1:24:34Thank you so much.

1. 1:24:48Thank you, Mayor, Council Members.
2. 1:24:50My name is Janae Vandekerk, and I'm a ticket agent at Sky Harbor International Airport.
3. 1:24:56I want to thank Councilwoman Betty Guardado for inviting me to speak in support of the Community Transparency Initiative.
4. 1:25:03Airport service workers are the heart and soul of our airport and city.
5. 1:25:08They are our neighbors and our friends.
6. 1:25:10Many of my fellow co-workers at the airport are immigrants.
7. 1:25:16They come from countries all over the world seeking the American dream and a better life for their children.
8. 1:25:23Airport service workers keep the airport, the airplanes clean and working and safe.
9. 1:25:29We pull in the airplanes to the gates and assist in the pushbacks along with many other things.
10. 1:25:36Airport service workers work long hours for low pay to keep our airport running smoothly.
11. 1:25:44Airport service workers should feel safe when they are at work.
12. 1:25:49They should feel safe when they are at home.
13. 1:25:52They should feel safe when they are out in the community.
14. 1:25:54ICE agents are terrorizing immigrants and American citizens.
15. 1:26:00When I turn on the news and see what is happening in Minneapolis, Los Angeles, and cities across the country, I don't recognize America anymore.
16. 1:26:09This is not the America that I love.
17. 1:26:12The deaths of Paul Pretty and Renee Nicole Goode should be a wake-up call to everyone.
18. 1:26:16ICE is out of control.
19. 1:26:19And now ICE is in our airports.
20. 1:26:22And I'm afraid, I'm afraid they're gonna become a permanent fixture.
21. 1:26:27The City Council must take action to prevent chaos, cruelty, and violence we are seeing in other places of our city, as well as provide support and resources to anyone who is unlawfully targeted and detained so they don't disappear and get lost in some detainment center or foreign country they have never been into.
22. 1:26:45Everyone should feel safe, no matter the color of skin or where you are from.
23. 1:26:50Thank you.

1. 1:27:02Good afternoon, Mayor and Council Members.
2. 1:27:04My name is Neera, and I live in District 8, and I am here today to express my strong support of the approval of the Community Transparency Initiative.
3. 1:27:13I come before you not only as a concerned resident of Phoenix, but as a former refugee who was resettled right here in this city.
4. 1:27:21My family and I did not choose to leave our home, but we were forced to flee due to persecution and our lives being threatened.
5. 1:27:29When we arrived in Phoenix, the city welcomed us and allowed my family and I to rebuild our lives with dignity.
6. 1:27:35In addition to being a former refugee and my professional career, I have worked for the past decade in the field of immigration policy and community organizing.
7. 1:27:45Today, I'm deeply concerned about the fear and uncertainty, like many expressed, that's spreading through our refugee and immigrant communities, and I want to speak on behalf of what we are seeing.
8. 1:27:55They are facing real and harmful impacts as a result of recent federal immigration actions.
9. 1:28:01First, we had the suspension of the US Refugee Admissions Program, which has completely halted pathways for those seeking safety.
10. 1:28:09Second, the re-vetting of previously resettled refugees that came under the Biden administration, particularly Operation Paris, which has created fear for individuals who have already been thoroughly and extensively vetted.
11. 1:28:23USCIS has also paused the processing of green cards for refugees leaving many in prolonged legal limbo.
12. 1:28:32Additionally, refugees who have not yet adjusted to lawful permanent resident status are now at risk of detention and deportation.
13. 1:28:40These policies are not abstract.
14. 1:28:43They are affecting real people.
15. 1:28:44These are individuals who have already lived through war, displacement, persecution, and violence, and seen the worst of humanity.
16. 1:28:53We need lawful, compassionate, community-centered response.
17. 1:28:56This is why we're asking you to support the Community Transparency Initiative.
18. 1:29:01Phoenix has been a long, welcoming city and I urge you to uphold our legacy.
19. 1:29:06Thank you.

1. 1:29:07Thank you.

1. 1:29:17Good afternoon, Mayor and City Council.
2. 1:29:19I'm sorry, I do have a cold.
3. 1:29:22My name is Susan Alexis, and I'm a resident of Phoenix living in the Maryvale area.
4. 1:29:28I'm here today to speak out about the importance of maintaining trust between our communities and the City of Phoenix.
5. 1:29:35In neighborhoods like Maryvale, many families are already living with a deep fear of interacting with law enforcement and city officials, regardless of immigration status.
6. 1:29:46We know that when people are afraid to request any type of service, they are far less likely to submit service requests, report failures, or use services their tax dollars support.
7. 1:29:56And when this happens, public safety doesn't improve.
8. 1:29:59It breaks down.
9. 1:30:00That fear creates a dangerous gap.
10. 1:30:03It makes entire communities more vulnerable, not less, to crime, exploitation, and victimization.
11. 1:30:09When people feel they cannot seek help, those who would do harm know it and exploit this fear.
12. 1:30:15So when there is even the appearance that local officials are supporting or collaborating with federal enforcement, it can push these communities further into the shadow.
13. 1:30:25It doesn't just affect those directly impacted, rather it affects entire neighborhoods regardless of immigration status.
14. 1:30:32I want to acknowledge the work that Councilwoman Gallegos from District 5 and her team has done for our community.
15. 1:30:39Her office and team have worked tirelessly in the area to reframe the stigma around contacting the City of Phoenix on various matters and promoting all of the resources that the community has access to.
16. 1:30:50It is critical to think about how policies and perceptions shape whether people feel safe enough to ask for help.
17. 1:30:56By taking a stand that the city of Phoenix is here to serve the community, it allows for shaping of perspectives to have faith in the city.
18. 1:31:04I urge the council to consider how any policy or action that appears to align with federal enforcement may unintentionally undermine the very safety that we are trying to achieve.
19. 1:31:14Because a city is safest, not when people are afraid, but when they feel seen, protected, and able to call for help.
20. 1:31:20Thank you.

1. 1:31:30I would like to thank the mayor, vice mayor, and the council for inviting me for day two.
2. 1:31:35My name is Devon Robinson.
3. 1:31:36I am a practicing immigration attorney.
4. 1:31:39I also represent Arizona Immigrant and Refugee Services.
5. 1:31:42Yesterday was the first time I ever stepped foot in this council office, but this is fantastic.
6. 1:31:48I truly hope that we can find a way to help refugees.
7. 1:31:52I've been serving refugees since 2005.
8. 1:31:54It's my appointment of
9. 1:31:57working with Arizona Refugee and Resettlement that we have a mission is to help as many refugees as possible.
10. 1:32:04And we implore you to please give funding because we truly need it.
11. 1:32:07I went back and checked some statistics.
12. 1:32:10On my own as a private firm, small, I've helped 236 refugees file for adjustment of status.
13. 1:32:17My objective is to help them in any way possible.
14. 1:32:20We're asking you, and I had a chance to look at some of the things that is needed.
15. 1:32:24Funding, for example, we need education, immigration services paid for, and when I say education, I think there's two pillars to education.
16. 1:32:34One, we need to educate ADOT,
17. 1:32:36Social Security, all the agencies that refugees deal with on a day-to-day basis but we also need to educate employers, landlords, we need to employ them to understand what the policies and procedures are and if we have the proper funding I believe with the refugee agencies in a coordinated effort we can put out the things that are needed for them to see the policies that govern refugees.
18. 1:33:02Thank you.

1. 1:33:19Good afternoon, Mayor, Vice Mayor, Council.
2. 1:33:22Thank you very much for having this critical item on the agenda today.
3. 1:33:26My name is Jeremy Helfgott.
4. 1:33:28I am a former member of the city's Human Relations Commission, a member of the Community and Police Trust Initiative Task Force, and I am here today to applaud the efforts that we are seeing on this matter to date.
5. 1:33:42and to underline the importance that these discussions must continue and must include the broadest possible community engagement two reasons for that one obviously the city needs to continue to hear from folks who are out in the community experiencing the challenges we're seeing in these unprecedented times and two members of the community need to continue to know
6. 1:34:09and feel that their voices are being heard.
7. 1:34:12The usual channels, the outlets for grievances on these matters no longer exist.
8. 1:34:18There isn't a civil rights resource at the Arizona U.S. Attorney's Office anymore, let alone at Maine Justice.
9. 1:34:28Things that used to be addressed with a phone call no longer are.
10. 1:34:32While I'm here I do want to take a second to all of you to please ask you to join me in thanking and commending the work of
11. 1:34:39City staff on this, Lori Bays and Zach Walls, Chief Giordano, Chief Orender, the executive staff at the fire department and members of the city attorney's staff have been incredibly engaged and taking the time and putting in the effort on this.
12. 1:34:56I wholeheartedly encourage all of you to support the measure today to pass the administrative regulation that is on the table and to continue this conversation unabated as we move forward we have difficult unprecedented challenges to face but I respect that we are working through them not turning a blind eye and look forward to continuing this effort together thank you very much if there are any questions I'm happy to take them thank you thank you

1. 1:35:34Good afternoon, Mayor and Council.
2. 1:35:35My name is Diane Post.
3. 1:35:36I'm an attorney and I'm a resident for 46 years.
4. 1:35:39This is a very good policy to start with, but it is not enough.
5. 1:35:43One of the problems is that the chief of police can recommend to authorize it and the city manager can authorize it.
6. 1:35:51Neither one of those people are elected and there are some sectors of the community that don't trust either one of them.
7. 1:35:56Another area, Section 6, says that it will approve the uses for enforcement of criminal law and not restricting enforcement of federal immigration law.
8. 1:36:05That's sort of opening the barn door to let the horse out.
9. 1:36:08I know that under Arizona law, you cannot restrict or obstruct the federal immigration.
10. 1:36:12However, you do not have to help
11. 1:36:15This morning there was a story on NPR about the costs of ICE deployment, and I think you should have a look at that.
12. 1:36:21It talks about not only police overtime, but also responding to the anti-ICE protests, the impact on other areas of policing, including the loss of police officers who experience PTSD from all of this.
13. 1:36:33And none of that includes the cost of lawsuits, because those haven't started to come in yet.
14. 1:36:37But in answer to the Councilwoman Hernandez question, yesterday Minnesota sued ICE because they would not assist or they would not work at all with them in the investigation of the Pretty and Good murders and other violence that was done by ICE.
15. 1:36:51So they're not going to cooperate with you and you're going to have to sue them.
16. 1:36:54Chief O'Hara of Minneapolis said that the problem was not the immigration enforcement per se, but the unsafe and questionable methods of the ICE agents.
17. 1:37:04And St. Paul Chief of Police said the line between physically intervening with ICE to keep protesters safe, but yet not intervening or not interfering with immigration, it's impossible.
18. 1:37:14You can't do it.
19. 1:37:15The only way is not to do it at all.
20. 1:37:17There is at this time hundreds of lawsuits against the federal government.
21. 1:37:21There's 15 against ICE specifically.
22. 1:37:24We know that they will break the law.
23. 1:37:25We know that they will do that.
24. 1:37:27So this is not a legitimate law enforcement agency.
25. 1:37:31These are the brown shirts of the administration and we should not cooperate or collude with these people at all.
26. 1:37:38Thank you.

1. 1:37:54Thank you.
2. 1:37:55Good evening, good afternoon, everybody.
3. 1:37:57My name is Sam Cole, Alex Teruel.
4. 1:37:59I'm from Phoenix, Arizona.
5. 1:38:02Thank you, Mayor Card, Councilwoman Betty Guardado, the council members, for the opportunity to speak here today.
6. 1:38:11I believe everyone, no matter where you're from or the color of your skin, to feel free to go to work, buy groceries, and pick up their children from school without the fear of getting harassed by the immigration officers.
7. 1:38:27And that's why I'm here today.
8. 1:38:30to support in support of the community transparency initiative.
9. 1:38:35I came to America as a refugee from Democratic Republic of Congo.
10. 1:38:40I was three years old when my parents were killed during the war in Democratic Republic of Congo.
11. 1:38:47My life in America is better now.
12. 1:38:51I work hard and most immigrants here in Arizona, we are contributing to the economy of this great nation.
13. 1:38:58I love America because I feel free and feel safe, free to live my life in peace, free to walk in the street, free to go to work and support my family.
14. 1:39:11But I fear that if I came to my community, I will no longer be
15. 1:39:17I will no longer feel free or safe.
16. 1:39:20I fear that I will become a target because the way I look and my accent.
17. 1:39:29I left my country, Democratic Republic of Congo, because my parents were killed.
18. 1:39:35I have come to Phoenix.
19. 1:39:37I will feel like a target again.
20. 1:39:42It will be a disaster for me and everyone else in my community.
21. 1:39:47I watch the news and see how ICE is destroying communities and causing a lot of harm instead of good.
22. 1:39:57ICE says that they are going after bad people, but they are not.
23. 1:40:02I have seen the news how ICE is using violence to separate parents from their children outside of the schools, churches, and homes.
24. 1:40:13And that's not the America that I know since when I was young in Africa.

1. 1:40:24and please, I'm asking you for protection and not to allow ICE to come to our communities, to harm our host communities as immigrants.
2. 1:40:34Thank you.
3. 1:40:35Thank you.

1. 1:40:51Good afternoon.
2. 1:40:53My name is Esrar Sabir.
3. 1:40:55I'm an organizer for Unite Here Local 11.
4. 1:41:00Behind me are hotel workers, our union representatives.
5. 1:41:04They also signed up to speak and I'm speaking on behalf of all of us.
6. 1:41:15We all worked with the US Armed Forces in Afghanistan for many years.
7. 1:41:23We are one of many Afghans, a refugee that came to this country hoping to have a freedom.
8. 1:41:31We helped fight for.
9. 1:41:33Today, we worry that if we leave,
10. 1:41:38If we leave our house that we will be detained and deported by ICE.
11. 1:41:47We have seen what ICE has done to other communities across this country.
12. 1:41:53They bring violence, death, and to the communities.
13. 1:41:58They go to
14. 1:42:00They go to, on Monday, our union sent a letter to all of our employers stating that the presence of ICE in our workplace create unsafe working environment.
15. 1:42:16We are scared that we send back that we will be killed.
16. 1:42:23For our work with the US Armed Forces,
17. 1:42:32We have put our life on the line for this country.
18. 1:42:36So the union is doing what they can to protect its members.
19. 1:42:44Help people feel safe going to work.
20. 1:42:47We are asking city to do their part.
21. 1:42:50Please vote yes on this item and stop ICE from entering city properties so families like ours can live in peace.
22. 1:43:00Thank you so much.

1. 1:43:52Thank you.
2. 1:43:52Thank you.
3. 1:43:53All right.
4. 1:43:53My name is Jose Hernandez.
5. 1:43:55I'm a resident of D8 and the son of immigrants, Mexican immigrants who actually came here in the late 70s and established their citizenship.
6. 1:44:05So this touches close to home growing up in the 80s with INS and the fear that we lived through
7. 1:44:10First, I want to, I'm here in support of the initiative, but I want to thank Councilwoman Pastor Hernandez and Hodge Washington for holding a listening session and embracing community feedback.
8. 1:44:21And also Councilwoman Stark for staying here during the work session to listen to the community.
9. 1:44:28Now, the CTI, it's only a small step, but by adding a measure to restrict use of city property for staging ICE, it's a barrier that's going to help slow the well-documented violence dealt by DHS.
10. 1:44:42It's important to highlight this violence, and we have to give context to it.
11. 1:44:48Since Trump's regime took over, four people have been murdered by CBP and ICE.
12. 1:44:54there's been been more shot but those that were murdered were American citizens and and I say that specifically for those that only value human life based on citizenship status
13. 1:45:05And on top of that violence, we've seen reports of malnutrition, refusal for medical attention in detention facilities.
14. 1:45:14Detention equals death now.
15. 1:45:17In Trump's first term, 52 people died in detention during those four years.
16. 1:45:22In the following four years under Biden, 26 died.
17. 1:45:25That's still way too many.
18. 1:45:27But now in the 15 months since Trump's regime took over,
19. 1:45:31There have been 46 people that have died in detention and many of these were needless deaths, including homicide.
20. 1:45:37So it's important to talk about the violence and putting these barriers on what ICE is doing in our communities.
21. 1:45:43Now, some of us may disagree on policy.
22. 1:45:48But what we shouldn't disagree on is reprehensible violence that's committed by a rogue agency.
23. 1:45:55And I challenge every public servant here to take your oath seriously and protect the community.
24. 1:46:01And we've already seen that this regime only pulls back when local officials and the community stands together.
25. 1:46:11So we urge you to pass the CTI.
26. 1:46:12Thank you.

1. 1:46:22Hi, hope you're all doing well.
2. 1:46:25There's a lady in the harbor of New York City.
3. 1:46:28She stands 305 feet and one inch tall.
4. 1:46:32She symbolizes freedom, democracy, justice, and friendship, international friendship.
5. 1:46:42It stands for hope and a better life.
6. 1:46:45At the base of this statue is a plaque that states, give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, and the wretched masses from their teeming shores.
7. 1:47:07This statue is a beacon of welcome for immigrants and refugees.
8. 1:47:11Our country was built on the backs of immigrants and slaves and none of us would be here without them.
9. 1:47:17To condemn them and terrorize them goes against everything our country stands for and destroys our country's foundation.
10. 1:47:27To defend ICE or this administration is to stand for the destruction of our country and we are not going to stand for it.
11. 1:47:36city council should vote to pass the CTI we appreciate how city staff engaged the community in this process but we know that more must be done thank you and then Rafa Avalos my name is Raul Cordero

1. 1:47:59I'm a member of United Here Local 11.
2. 1:48:03I work at Sky Chefs.
3. 1:48:05I live in District 6, and I'm here to speak about item 41.
4. 1:48:12Right now we are seeing that ICE is present at Sky Harbor Airport, which has workers and passengers, creates a lack of trust among people when going to pick up their relatives or going to work there.
5. 1:48:25Now, more than ever, we need relief, and this law does that.
6. 1:48:30This item goes a long way toward protecting our communities.
7. 1:48:34Right now, many people are afraid.
8. 1:48:37For instance, if this initiative passes, more families will be able to take their children to the library or city parks without fear or being confronted by ICE.
9. 1:48:48I ask you to vote yes on item 41.
10. 1:48:50Thank you.

1. 1:49:08Good afternoon, Mayor and council members.
2. 1:49:12My name is Rafael Aviles.
3. 1:49:15I was born here in the US, but my parents came from a different country, suffered through a lot of long times.
4. 1:49:27Being alone in this new place, not knowing what to do, not having resources, not having family,
5. 1:49:34In this current time, unfortunately, federal government is nothing to depend on.
6. 1:49:42So I come here asking you guys, because I feel like in this community of Phoenix, you guys are our hope.
7. 1:49:50And I know that you guys can do something to defend us immigrant families and the immigrant community, which I mean, and like we've all said it,
8. 1:50:01Phoenix and you know all of us is made up of immigrants so to uh to put us aside like like nothing and and let ice treat us like like we're just like irrelevant beings it's it's unacceptable um like i said federally i have no faith but in you guys i do um so
9. 1:50:25I'm firm and I have faith that you guys will vote for the CTI and you know we want families to be strengthened through having good information and through
10. 1:50:40Just knowing what to do.
11. 1:50:42Right now there's darkness.
12. 1:50:44Illuminate the light for us and let us see the path to the pursuit of happiness.
13. 1:50:51That was said earlier from the founding fathers.
14. 1:50:55So thank you guys and let's keep fighting.
15. 1:50:58Thank you.

1. 1:51:13Good afternoon, everybody.
2. 1:51:15Can I do a traductor, please?
3. 1:51:18Thank you.
4. 1:51:21Mi nombre es Lupita Galaviz.
5. 1:51:24Soy empresaria y soy miembro del Villaje Planet Comité.
6. 1:51:31Y estoy aquí esta tarde para expresar mi desacuerdo en donde la policía de Phoenix trabaje en conjunto con ICE.
7. 1:51:42Estoy aquí para apoyar a todas las familias hispanas que hoy viven con miedo.
8. 1:51:49Para decirle a usted, respetable alcaldesa y honorables miembros concejales, que aprueben la iniciativa de transparencia comunitaria, ya que de lo contrario, nuestras comunidades inmigrantes se verán más afectadas.
9. 1:52:07así como los pequeños negocios que además están a un paso de desaparecer, sobre todo los dueños de inmigrantes, ya que sus consumidores son inmigrantes también y están viviendo con mucho miedo en las calles.
10. 1:52:24Hemos visto hace dos días a ICE en el aeropuerto, lo que ha causado mucho más miedo a nuestra comunidad.
11. 1:52:37y más aún a la población hispana y a todos los que como yo hablamos español.
12. 1:52:44Tenemos que hablar por ellos y por eso es importante estar aquí para poder tener una voz y poderlos defender.
13. 1:52:53Les pido por favor que esta tarde resuelvan a favor de todos aquellos inmigrantes que vinieron a este país con un solo sueño de mejorar, de mejorar nuestras comunidades y de apoyar a todos aquellos que hoy trabajan y no nada más de, yo vine aquí hace 24 años, no nada más de los que venimos, de los que están llegando y están creciendo.
14. 1:53:16Por favor, apóyennos.
15. 1:53:17Gracias.

Spoken in Spanish, transcribed as said

Some lines may be an automatic translation of Spanish speech, not the speaker's own words

1. 1:55:46Thank you, Mayor and Council Members.
2. 1:55:47I don't live in Phoenix right now.
3. 1:55:49I was born right down the street of Phoenix, but as an Iraq veteran, I want to thank those gentlemen who were just here that assisted my fellow soldiers.
4. 1:55:58and helping save lives.
5. 1:55:59Unfortunately, now we're having to do this because we have certain individuals who believe in the constitution of Nietzsche and not the constitution of the United States.
6. 1:56:10So at first, you know, I put neutral on this because I thought this is not going far enough.
7. 1:56:16But many of my brothers and sisters who stand up for human rights, beautiful people, they're saying, look, at least they can't stage in the parking lots.
8. 1:56:23But I want this to go a lot farther because the people we are dealing with
9. 1:56:28are people that do not believe in the Constitution of the United States.
10. 1:56:32They believe in the Constitution of Nietzsche.
11. 1:56:36Not helping your fellow man, not standing up for rights, but, oh, either kill or be killed.
12. 1:56:42So that's what the question is here.
13. 1:56:44It is a moral question.
14. 1:56:46And I want all the little children out there in Phoenix that watch this.
15. 1:56:50Your public officials will show whether they stand for the United States Constitution that any little child, whether they're white, black, brown, red, whatever they are, what ethnicity, should not be ripped away from their parents against being violated with the law.
16. 1:57:05So I'm all for this, but unfortunately, and this is germane,
17. 1:57:10When you have the other group of people that don't follow the Constitution, people that are here legally are being kidnapped and rendered, then I don't know what to say.
18. 1:57:19But I'm not going to give up on our Constitution.
19. 1:57:21So I'll finish with this.
20. 1:57:23I'm for this, but we need a lot more to go.
21. 1:57:27And again, please follow the Constitution of the United States because those who back ice believe the Constitution of Nietzsche.
22. 1:57:34That's the question here.
23. 1:57:35Thank you.

1. 1:57:48Hello Mayor and Council.
2. 1:57:51My name is Michelle Kane and I live in District 3.
3. 1:57:55I'm an organizer with Unite Here Local 11 and I work at Hilton Phoenix at the Peak.
4. 1:58:02Every day my co-workers help make the city's tourism run.
5. 1:58:07We welcome guests from all over the world
6. 1:58:11Make them feel safe and comfortable during their stay, but many of my coworkers live in fear.
7. 1:58:16We have seen what ICE has done to other communities across the country.
8. 1:58:21The violence, death, and fear they cause in the communities they go to is real.
9. 1:58:27This is why our union sent out a letter to all of our employers stating that the presence of ICE in our workplaces creates an unsafe environment.
10. 1:58:39We will not work in these unsafe conditions.
11. 1:58:43This initiative is an important step in bringing transparency and accountability by ensuring that public spaces, including the places where we work, are safe for everyone.
12. 1:58:55It sends a message that our city stands with workers and our community.
13. 1:58:59I am asking that you stand with workers and families like mine.
14. 1:59:04Please vote yes on the Community Transparency Initiative.
15. 1:59:09Thank you for your time.

1. 2:00:02Good afternoon, Council.
2. 2:00:05My name is Justin Capaz.
3. 2:00:07I am a white Latino of Cuban descent.
4. 2:00:10On September 11th of 2025, I got sober.
5. 2:00:15In the anniversary of the world's aftermath, I began walking through my own.
6. 2:00:20I have been stepping out of a largely solitary life and finding my footing alongside my neighbors.
7. 2:00:27When I was five years old, my parents brought me with them to a trailer in the rural south
8. 2:00:32to deliver Thanksgiving groceries to a migrant family.
9. 2:00:36I grew up in a Filipino Catholic church where my family was the only white one in the pews.
10. 2:00:43I know what an integrated protective community looks like.
11. 2:00:47But over the last 25 years, I have watched an authoritarian drift replace that community with a theater of war.
12. 2:00:53For 2001, Immigration and Civilization Service
13. 2:01:02Then came the Patriot Act.
14. 2:01:04Now we have Homeland Security, Customs Enforcement and Removal.
15. 2:01:09These are not administrative