Palm Springs officially a sanctuary city

The Palm Springs City Council have passed an ordinance officially proclaiming the city as a sanctuary city.

The council voted 4-1 to pass the notion. Mayor Robert Moon was the lone no vote.

“I don’t think it’s really necessary to designate us a sanctuary city. I think what we have in place right now has worked for a very long time and there has been no issues that I know of. No challenges to this and things have gone smoothly,” Moon said.

Councilmember Geoff Kors clarified that this will not change the city’s laws.

“This doesn’t change anything in our existing laws. This is already all.. the way the current law is. i think the police department has had the policies, as they’re noted in here, for decades. But, the ordinances we’ve already passed, it doesn’t change anything in that,” Kors said at the meeting.

Kors said the ordinance makes it easier to understand what the city’s policies are and officially uses the word sanctuary city.

In April 2017, the council approved a non-discrimination ordinance. This prohibited discrimination and profiling by police and prevented anyone from having to provide information based on their religion or immigration status to the city. The Palm Springs Police Chief Bryan Reyes voiced his support of that supported ordinance. He added that the department has had followed since 1981.

Palm Springs is now the third city to become a sanctuary city, joining Coachella and Cathedral City.