Category Archives: Public Safety

Public Safety refers to criminal justice, code enforcement, disaster preparedness, fire, police, emergency medical services, municipal court, judicial appointments, and related matters.

Statement by Mayor Adler on ICE Director’s Threat to Arrest City, State Officials

On Tuesday, acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Thomas Homan, endorsed arresting local elected officials because of conflicts on immigration enforcement policy. “This is victimization of the American community,” he said. “This isn’t the America I grew up in. We’ve got to take these sanctuary cities on. We’ve got to take them to court, and we’ve got to start charging some of these politicians with crimes.”

“ICE Director Calls For Arrest Of ‘Sanctuary City And State Officials,” Talking Points Memo
“Trump’s ICE chief wants to arrest ‘sanctuary city’ politicians. Dallas mayor calls threat ‘total hogwash’,” Dallas Morning News

Mayor Adler’s statement follows:

“Threatening to jail political opponents, especially for laws they aren’t breaking, is not the America I grew up in. Austin is the safest big city in Texas, and we follow the law. I will oppose anti-immigrant policies, regardless of the personal consequences, because spreading fear and making threats makes us all less safe.”  

2017: MAYOR ADLER’S YEAR IN REVIEW  

We went into 2017 focused on addressing mobility and affordability, and we did get a lot done on both fronts as you can see below. What we weren’t fully expecting, however, was the degree to which we would have to defend Austin’s values on climate change, refugee resettlement, racial equity, immigration, and feminism, among many other subjects. When the Mayor said in his State of the City Address, delivered at the beginning of 2017, that the “world can completely lose its mind but we’re still gonna be Austin, Texas,” he had no way of knowing how accurately that would predict what 2017 had in store or how our city would respond.

We’re still Austin, Texas, and we’re getting better at it all the time.

Here are actions taken by the City and/or by City Council (not just the Mayor): Continue reading →