Mount Vernon may create committee to address concerns from immigrant communities

People in Mount Vernon, Wash. are asking the city council to pass a resolution committing to the Keep Washington Working Act. The request comes after community members expressed concerns about discriminatory comments made by a council member in January.

During a council meeting when discussing feral cat problems, council member Navor Tercero alluded to false claims about immigrants eating pets in Springfield, OH. 

The situation caused a flurry of public comments from residents, who called for the council to take a stronger stance on its commitment to immigrant communities.

Mount Vernon mayor Peter Donovan said he wants more than a resolution. He’s proposing the creation of a committee with community members and key city leaders to work together on building trust and better communication with the community.

“I want understanding between the city and our residents, and I want reestablished trust because our city historically has done a lot to reach out and to nurture a relationship with our immigrant community,” Donovan said in an interview.

Rosalinda Guillen, an activist in the Mount Vernon and Bellingham area, gave the resolution draft to the council during a meeting on Feb. 26.

“It further resolved that the City of Mount Vernon stands in solidarity with all immigrant and refugee residents … and we stand ready to work with you to make this happen,” Guillen said.

In an update during a city council meeting this week, Donovan said the draft resolution mainly requests that the city of Mount Vernon make a public statement declaring that it will comply with the Keep Washington Working Act.

Donovan said that the city has made that commitment, citing a letter by Mount Vernon Police Chief Dan Christman to the community earlier this year.

The Mount Vernon Police Department strives “to ensure that all people have access to our services. An individual’s immigration status is irrelevant to our mission, vision, and core values,” Christman wrote in his letter. “MVPD only considers immigration status when an officer has reason to believe that the person committed a serious crime that directly impacts public safety.”

The police department’s letter is one of many examples mentioned in the recent lawsuit by the Washington State Attorney General against the Adams County Sheriff’s Office for violating the Keep Washington Working Act.

“ We are following the Keep Washington Working Act of 2019 in the city of Mount Vernon, Washington, but it looks like listening from the Police Department, but not listening or not having this resolution or (commitment) from the city council, is not resonating in the same way with the community,” Donovan said during a recent interview.

Donovan said that if the committee feels the resolution is necessary, the city will study it before sending it to the council for a vote.

If approved, the Mount Vernon City Council would follow Spokane, which recently approved a resolution supporting the city’s immigrant and refugee communities and affirming compliance with Washington’s Keep Washington Work Act.