Good afternoon, councilmembers. My name is Samantha Itazawa and I am a staff attorney at the ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties.
More than half of our state’s population are immigrants or children of immigrants. Immigrants and refugees are our neighbors, friends, colleagues, frontline workers and teachers. San Diego has long been a place of opportunity, and at one point hosted the second largest population of Somali refugees in the nation.
Today, members of our Somali community are facing growing hostility and persecution. Local child care providers are being targeted due to a nationwide harassment campaign. Anti-Muslim rhetoric is not only threatening livelihoods – it has taken the lives of members of our community.
By supporting this resolution, we reaffirm our commitment to inclusion, dignity and safety for all members of our community. Let this commitment carry us forward and inspire more actions to truly make San Diego “America’s finest city” for all.