344 20th St
Oakland, CA 94612
USA
BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) Board of Directors Meeting. Agenda.
Directions:
BART will be considering newly-elected BART rep Lateefah Simon’s proposal for “sanctuary transit” i.e instructions to BART’s police department to not cooperate with immigration enforcement activities on the Bay Area’s rail system and to ensure unfettered travel to and from work, family and leisure for all residents regardless of status.
…The risks to our undocumented riders are real. On May 14, after being questioned about his immigration status, a rider on the Metro Transit system in Minneapolis was tased and arrested. Within days, he was transferred to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and a federal immigration judge ordered him deported. The right to use public transit should never come with exposure to such danger. Implementing the Safe Transit Policy is essential for preventing similar incidents on BART.
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The Safe Transit Policy ensures that regardless of ethnic or national origin, gender, gender identity, race, religion, sexual orientation or immigration status, riders can count on a safe and secure environment on BART.
Specifically, the policy would forbid BART from spending its resources to enforce federal immigration law and prohibit BART police officers and employees from questioning riders about their immigration status.