>> Council members will soon vote on a proposal that would allow the civilian office of Police accountability to investigate whether Chicago officers have violated the welcoming city ordinance.

Kopas newly appointed chief administrator White told older people last week that her office is prepared to investigate the 40 complaints filed against the Chicago Police Department over its interactions with federal agents since June.

Chicago's welcoming City ordinance prohibits all city employees from helping federal agents enforce immigration laws in nearly all cases.

Joining us with more are the older people behind the new proposal, Jessie Fuentes of the 20th Ward on the city's west side.

And orange.

Andrea Vasquez of the 40th Ward on the city's north side.

He's also the chair of the City Council's committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights.

We also invited opponents of this proposal, but they either declined or did not respond.

We think the 2 of you for joining us to discuss this.

All the person point as want to come to you first.

Why did you think this ordinance was necessary?

On June 4th.

And last year we had an incident.

Where was the first U.S.

collation of point time.

>> Ice agents sort of escalating in their violence and it's sort of detainment said ISP office with a baby individuals with text messages that they we had all the people in organizes there, mishandled by violence by Border Patrol and ICE agents.

And what we've seen where very characteristics and activities by local law enforcement by providing ICE and border patrol perimeter, working on inside of the ISP office to coordinate how they're getting out of the building with individuals that that they have the team that is the year activity for us that folks are helping coordinate and violating the welcome the city ordinance Chairman Vasquez had a hearing not long after that where I tease office and Copa did not have community who share sticks it was to investigate someone violating the welcoming city OIG.

Obviously Office of Inspector General Copa Civilian Office of Police Accountability.

Correct.

And we wanted to make sure that there's community in the statute.

And so we amended the Copa ordinance so that coca has all the jurisdiction to investigate any violations of the welcoming City act.

At the end of the day, this is about everyone feeling safe.

We want people despite documentation status to be able to call 9-1-1 if they're in danger, if they need support and not worry that local law enforcement is going to be working with federal agents, all the person ask as a welcoming city ordinance was created in 2012, the Copa Copa, the the agency was created in 2017.

>> Why didn't cope already have the authority to investigate this and why?

Why does it need to explicitly be given by ordinance?

Yes, Sir, COVID has some authority.

I think what we're trying to Dana faced with the responsibility to do so.

So COVID, for example.

>> Can take it on itself.

It can read it inspected general or to the Bureau of Internal Affairs.

A TPD, but because there was some ambiguity there.

So who should take it on what ordinance that other person is introduced, clarifies that that way.

And there's less ambiguity and the department is charged with and doing the investigation and Copa out of the 3 bodies in the one to provide the most transparency.

So we look at is how do you clarify language to make sure that we go forward in unprecedented moment and no, how do we hold accountable?

How do we investigate?

How do we know right is and we're wrong is because officers out there would know what the rules are.

So we need a better set.

Those guidelines.

>> police superintendent, Larry Snelling Mayor Brandon Johnson.

They both said that CPD officers have operated in compliance with the welcoming city ordinance all the prison Vasquez.

Do you believe that to be the case?

It might be because they believe that to be true.

But when we look at some of the footage seeing once we push the issue after the hearing, we held.

>> We saw it explicit moments where reliever ship of CPD was talking to ICE agent and telling them where they should move the car to have less people block to come in and parking private areas.

Both the public to date have easier time transporting people, kidnapping them.

As we now know, other places, saw those someone may feel like it to the right thing.

The reason we want to clear investigations in are drafting legislation to make the changes are because it is not up to the officers to decide what right or wrong if the legislative body in it.

So we're doing.

>> All the person point, as you know, are Chicago police officers in sort of a tough spot here, right?

Do they not have, you know, also the responsibility to respond to 9-1-1?

Calls, no matter who makes them at the same time, they have a duty to de-escalate situations when they can argue that we asked a lot of our officers here actually provide safety and security for all residents of the city is no easy task.

Whether it's >> federal enforcement or weather.

It's real concern around gun violence in the city of Chicago.

Rome police officers difficult.

They have the responsibility to make sure that all residents are safe despite documentation status.

And you're right, no matter what the 9-1-1 call is, it is the role of CPD to respond.

It is also the role of responding commanded to assess that situation and make clear to his local officers.

What are the next steps going to keep those residents safe in the June 4th?

And it was the responsibility of the commanding officer to make a decision on how CPD was going coordinate itself that day.

It is the commanding officer that nice make decisions, whether not law enforcement going to put themselves in a position in which they are engaging with ICE officers and supporting their enforcement in our city.

And so this statute is very clear if there is any gray area, if there is question, if there's a violation of the welcoming city ordinance, Copa is to investigate That is not to say that every single complaint that comes in is going to be ruled that there was a violation.

But there needs to be a mechanism in which we are investigating those actions so that anyone who is violating the welcoming city ordinance can be held accountable.

Okay.

So the 3 alders who voted against the promote proposal in committee last week, one of them is all the person Apollo Town who said, quote, >> I have never supported the welcoming city ordinance.

And I continue to question legality of any municipal policy that attempts to supersede or conflict with federal law.

It goes on to say rather than addressing the root problems created by flawed policy decisions.

This measure shifts focus toward policing our police officers.

All Vasquez.

What do you make of that?

should the city be doing?

More to address the challenges that come with or what it means to be a welcoming city versus focusing on the prosecution of police officers.

I think where we would find some level agreement with other person.

Pautado is we are seeking to address gaps that the federal government is not addressed.

And I would say for over 30 years.

>> Immigration law does not.

It's not the same lot, depending who's coming into the country.

So what we're doing now is understanding in world.

We're living in watching what happened in Minneapolis, where it's unconstitutional, far as what they're going to want to talk about real a lot.

Let's look at all of it.

What we're doing in the city as a municipality is working within our confines of what we can do legislatively to make sure that we're holding officers accountable.

And I was seen as for our colleagues.

For the officers, they are doing what they believe to be right If they do know what the rules are, we don't have order so being able to track the legislation.

It clarifies that also helps offices that are trying to do their best in the situation.

Do the right thing.

That's not being punitive.

That being clear.

It is more of that legislation.

Is there an ordinance coming that does that that delineates, you know, specifically what police officers can and cannot do that would be deemed in support immigration, their number of things, right?

So that the signed executive order this weekend raking would allow for >> officers to know what to do in these instances as far as documenting making sure we have recorded evidence that may be turning the state attorney's office to follow through on.

>> But we also legislation where we just want more reporting more transparency as any time TPD is interacting with ice.

We don't get enough of that now wishing force it through the committee to hear more.

We should make part of municipal code every kind of the air action we get that visibility so we can find what other challenges we need to address the council.

>> All different as we've got about 30 seconds left.

If this amendment has passed full City Council on has cope a given you any idea of how soon we might start to see investigations of those 40 cases that she reports her office has received.

Yeah, absolutely.

So some of the cases have already been referred out and where they refer to those bodies not have jurisdiction to investigate those any cases.

They are still in the jurisdiction of Copa will be investigated immediately.

So chief is prepared to take on those cases.

And so we should hear within a couple of days what they believe, you know, is wrong doing or not in these cases, we would add also for members of the public who have witnessed anything, it might be an interaction.

They want make complaints about.

>> If the city website to do it, they can also to welcome the Chicago DOT org to submit any complaints, though, to get right to the right departments to make sure the city can further investigate and hold people accountable, OK, we'll have to leave it you both.

Than >> And we're back right after this.