Chapter 12H — IMMIGRATION STATUS

Sec. 12H.1. City and County of Refuge.

Sec. 12H.2. Use of City Funds Prohibited.

Sec. 12H.3. Clerk of Board to Transmit Copies of this Chapter; Informing City Employees.

Sec. 12H.4. Enforcement.

Sec. 12H.5. City Undertaking Limited to Promotion of General Welfare.

Sec. 12H.6. Severability.

It is hereby affirmed that the City and County of San Francisco is a City and County of Refuge.

(Added by Ord. 375-89, App. 10/24/89)

No department, agency, commission, officer, or employee of the City and County of San Francisco shall use any City funds or resources to assist in the enforcement of Federal immigration law or to gather or disseminate information regarding release status of individuals or any other such personal

information as defined in Chapter 12I in the City and County of San Francisco unless such assistance is required by Federal or State statute, regulation, or court decision. The prohibition set forth in this Chapter 12H shall include, but shall not be limited to:

(a) Assisting or cooperating, in one's official capacity, with any investigation, detention, or arrest procedures, public or clandestine, conducted by the Federal agency charged with enforcement of the Federal immigration law and relating to alleged violations of the civil provisions of the Federal immigration law, except as permitted under Administrative Code Section 12I.3.

(b) Assisting or cooperating, in one's official capacity, with any investigation, surveillance, or gathering of information conducted by foreign governments, except for cooperation related to an alleged violation of City and County, State, or Federal criminal laws.

(c) Requesting information about, or disseminating information, in one's official capacity, regarding the release status of any individual or any other such personal information as defined in Chapter 12I, except as permitted under Administrative Code Section 12I.3, or conditioning the provision of services or benefits by the City and County of San Francisco upon immigration status, except as required by Federal or State statute or regulation, City and County public assistance criteria, or court decision.

(d) Including on any application, questionnaire, or interview form used in relation to benefits, services, or opportunities provided by the City and County of San Francisco any question regarding immigration status other than those required by Federal or State statute, regulation, or court decision. Any such questions existing or being used by the City and County at the time this Chapter is adopted shall be deleted within sixty days of the adoption of this Chapter.

(Added by Ord. 375-89, App. 10/24/89; amended by Ord. 228-09, File No. 091032, App. 10-28-2009; Ord. 96-16, File No. 160022, App. 6/17/2016, Eff. 7/17/2016)

(Added by Ord. 282-92, App. 9/4/92; amended by Ord. 238-93, App. 8/4/93; Ord. 228-09, File No. 091032, App. 10-28-2009; repealed by Ord. 96-16, File No. 160022, App. 6/17/2016, Eff. 7/17/2016)

The Clerk of the Board of Supervisors shall send copies of this Chapter, including any future amendments thereto that may be made, to every department, agency and commission of the City and County of San Francisco, to California's United States Senators, and to the California Congressional delegation, the Commissioner of the Federal agency charged with enforcement of the Federal immigration law, the United States Attorney General, and the Secretary of State and the President of the United States. Each appointing officer of the City and County of San Francisco shall inform all employees under her or his jurisdiction of the prohibitions in this ordinance, the duty of all of her or his employees to comply with the prohibitions in this ordinance, and that employees who fail to comply with the prohibitions of the ordinance shall be subject to appropriate disciplinary action. Each City and County employee shall be given a written directive with instructions for implementing the provisions of this Chapter.

(Added by Ord. 375-89, App. 10/24/89; Ord. 228-09, File No. 091032, App. 10-28-2009)

The Human Rights Commission shall review the compliance of the City and County departments, agencies, commissions and employees with the mandates of this ordinance in particular instances in which there is question of noncompliance or when a complaint alleging noncompliance has been lodged.

(Added by Ord. 375-89, App. 10/24/89)

In undertaking the adoption and enforcement of this Chapter, the City is assuming an undertaking only to promote the general welfare. This Chapter is not intended to create any new rights for breach of which the City is liable in money damages to any person who claims that such breach proximately caused injury. This section shall not be construed to limit or proscribe any other existing rights or remedies possessed by such person.

(Added by Ord. 375-89, App. 10/24/89)

If any part of this ordinance, or the application thereof, is held to be invalid, the remainder of this ordinance shall not be affected thereby, and this ordinance shall otherwise continue in full force and effect. To this end, the provisions of this ordinance, and each of them, are severable.

(Added by Ord. 375-89, App. 10/24/89)