When Santa Cruz City Council meets on Tuesday, it will vote to take a stand in the national debate surrounding illegal immigration.
When Santa Cruz City Council meets on Tuesday, it will vote to take a stand in the national debate surrounding illegal immigration. Councilmember Tony Madrigal has requested that the Council vote in support of the federal Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act, which would grant U.S. citizenship to young people who arrived in the country illegally before the age of fifteen, complete high school and attend college or serve in the military for at least two years. If they maintain a clean record throughout that time, they would be granted U.S. citizenship.
Madrigal’s proposal is supported Councilmember Don Lane, who adopted an undocumented immigrant child, who is now a sophomore at Cabrillo College. The girl, Tida Lane-Howe, won an outstanding citizenship award as a senior in high school.
But Councilmember Ryan Coonerty is not convinced that this is the most urgent issue facing City Council now. He says he needs to study the issue more closely before deciding whether it really impacts his constituents.
City Council seems not to agree, and has vaulted the vote over the measure to its 3:00 pm session this Tuesday. City safety proposals in response to the recent spate of violence will be discussed and voted on after this, at the 7:00 pm session.
