Sanctuary City

CALL YOUR COUNCILLOR NOW!
REMIND THEM! TORONTO IS A SANCTUARY CITY! CITY SERVICES SHOULD NOT BE DEPENDENT ON IMMIGRATION STATUS! WE NEED CHILDCARE FOR ALL.

JOIN US:
February 16, 9:30am
People's Daycare at City Hall

Here is a list of key decision-makers to contact: https://goo.gl/zFWg6S
Alternatively, get your councilor’s contact info here: http://bit.ly/2nMKU2S

The City of Toronto is denying Torontonians their childcare subsidies on the basis of their immigration status. This is against Toronto’s sanctuary policy, which guarantees all residents access to all city services regardless of their immigration status.

Parents have been told - with no notice - that their Toronto childcare subsidy was being cancelled because of their status. Now they are left scrambling to find an alternative in the most expensive city in the country for childcare.

On May 21st, The Toronto Police Services presented a report to Toronto City Hall's Community Development and Recreations Committee saying that their practices of racial profiling, carding, and handing over non-status migrants to immigration enforcement is in line with ensuring access without fear for undocumented Torontonians.

Migrants and their allies mobilized to pack the committee and insist that this report must be rejected and that the City of Toronto needs to step in and demand an end to racial profiling, and police collusion with immigration enforcement.

Racist policing, particularly the practice of carding means that Toronto Police regularly stops Black and Brown people in the city of Toronto. When Police do a warrant search or call immigration, and learn that the person does not have immigration status, they are handed over to immigration enforcement and often swiftly deported.

Similarly, when racialized people call the police, sometimes the Police will ID everyone involved, and upon finding out about someone's lack of immigration status, hand them over to immigration enforcement. Thus the vast number of deportations that take place - about 30 people every day or over 10,000 each year just in Toronto - take place as a result of Toronto Police's actions.

Advocates for undocumented migrants watch the Toronto City Council meeting Tuesday as it debates a motion to improve access to services by non-status residents.

By: Nicholas Keung Immigration reporter, Published on Tue Jun 10 2014

Toronto has taken a baby step towards living up to its self-declared status as a “sanctuary city” for undocumented residents, by adopting some key recommendations.

Council voted 29-8 Tuesday to take concrete steps on a plan to give Toronto’s estimated200,000 non-status residents access to city services without fear of being turned over to border enforcement officials — including training city staff and revising policies to prevent discrimination based on immigration status.

“Last year, the city just committed itself to being a sanctuary city safe for people without immigration status, but not a lot has happened,” said Tzazna Miranda Leal of the Solidarity City Network, an umbrella advocacy group.

“This will help the city to start hammering out a detailed plan to make it a reality, and give city staff the tools they need to make it happen.”

Today, after a marathon nail-biting debate, Toronto City Hall strengthened its promise to provide services to residents without full immigration status or all their immigration documents. Read the exact motion here.

You called, wrote, met, and pressured your Councillors and they were forced to listen. The first step is complete, and we have a new mission for you.

We need you to go out and make sure that Toronto services are now actually accessible. Sign up here and we will get in touch with you on exactly how. There is a lot of work still to be done, and together we will make it happen.

City Hall instructed Chris Brillinger, Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration to put together a report on how to improve access to services without fear including training, a complaints protocol and a communications blitz by September 2013.

That means we need to spend the next six months ensuring the right recommendations get on this report and that these recommendations actually pass at City Hall after that.