August 5, 2024
Dear Mayor Lund,
We are writing to express concern that it has been six months since City Council suspended all activities performed by the Immigration Advisory Board (IAB), seemingly, without any progress towards developing a workgroup with IAB members or plans for a restart.
We are following up on a commitment you made during the January 29, 2024, Committee of the Whole meeting. In part, you committed to City Council, and the public, to dedicate staff resources to a “robust working group” and provide a “robust progress update”. We formally request an update on the status of the workgroup and any efforts completed thus far to ensure the IAB’s success.
Additionally, we bring to your attention that due to the IAB’s suspension, the city has not likely maintained compliance with Ordinance No. 2019-11-033, which established the IAB, and amended Ordinance No. 2021-03-09. Specifically, the ordinances describe one purpose of the IAB is to “determine compliance with” the Keep Washington Working Act (KWW). It is the IAB’s independent review of collected data that assures compliance with the KWW. We do not accept as a substitute that the Bellingham Police Department has policies and procedures in place.
We hope to hear that progress is, in fact, being made towards the promises made to our immigrant community following the suspension of the IAB. We remain certain that the IAB served as an important vehicle for hearing from immigrant voices on the impacts of current and proposed city policies related to the environment, housing affordability, and public health. And, we believe that, as the largest population in Whatcom County, Bellingham plays a leadership and accountability role that shapes the way the entire county views our immigrant neighbors.
Sincerely,
Riveters Collective Board of Directors