Before the Ballot- Questions for Hamilton's Next Mayor- Hamilton as a Sanctuary City- With Mayoral Candidate Sasha Austin

The following is our Before the Ballot: Questions for Hamilton’s Next Mayor question for the month of June. Enjoy our Q/A with Mayoral Candidate Sasha Austin:

Over time, Hamilton has increasingly been described and treated as a ‘sanctuary city,’ largely through council policies and administrative approaches that received relatively limited public attention or broad civic debate at the time they were implemented.

Supporters argue such policies reflect compassion, inclusion, and public health considerations. Critics, however, question the impact on municipal resources, housing pressures, taxpayer burden, and public confidence in immigration and enforcement systems.

As Mayor, would you support Hamilton continuing to operate as a sanctuary city in principle and practice? Why or why not? And how would you balance humanitarian considerations with growing concerns surrounding housing affordability, infrastructure strain, social services capacity, and property tax pressures facing Hamilton residents today? Do you believe Hamiltonians can afford to remain a sanctuary city?

Before Hamilton voted to become Canada’s second sanctuary city in February 2014 the Hamilton Sanctuary City Collation submitted a report to the city. This report examined the factors to be taken into consideration when exploring the idea of creating sanctuary city policies including access to healthcare and police services remain the primary concern for undocumented migrants. Fear of detection, detention and deportation is a major obstacle preventing many from obtaining services to which they would otherwise have access. Precarious migratory status disproportionately affects women who are vulnerable because they often come to Canada using temporary visas and family sponsorships. Women with precarious status are often vulnerable to exploitation and violence in personal relationships. Children are the most severely impacted by precarious status, this status restricts their access to food bank programs, recreational programs and daycare activities that are necessary for a healthy development.

As of April 2014, two Canadian cities adopted sanctuary city policies. Toronto became Canadas first sanctuary city in February 2013 followed by Hamilton in February 2014. Sanctuary city policies in Hamilton municipally funded services can include access to parks and recreation, community centres, police, fire, and emergency services, public transportation services, public libraries, food banks and emergency shelters.

Once Hamilton was declared a sanctuary city this meant non status immigrants would be able to access public services without fear of being reported. A sanctuary city is a place where immigrants can access city services regardless of their citizenship status. Select the concept would mean a don't ask, don't tell policy where immigrants can go to the public health or other taxpayer funded agencies without fear being turned in to the authorities.

The mayor of Hamilton when the City Council voted to adopt A sanctuary city policy in 2014 was Bob Bratina on February 12, 2014. City Council officially voted to become Canada’s second sanctuary city ensuring that undocumented individuals could access municipal and municipal funded services without fear of their immigration status being questioned. The primary driver of this motion at the council level was counselor Sam Merulla alongside community advocacy from the groups like the Hamilton Community Legal Clinic with Hugh Tye – Executive Director initiating the sanctuary city as well as Paul Johnson then director of neighborhood development strategies.

I have worked in shelters and drop-in centres straight from my college grad in 2002, I seen firsthand the enormous difference between need, intakes and call ins for families seeking shelter space and support. for the first 12 years was reasonable access and inquiries almost always with beds available. Fast track to 2015 and on I started having to literally turn two or three families away a day due to the overwhelming shortage in beds even with overflow. In the early years of my career, I was able to seamlessly obtain housing and necessities for clients then to have to turn them away in the later years is heartbreaking and inhumane. It does no good either to the families that cannot access resources due to overcapacity.

The sanctuary city plan is not revenue neutral for taxpayers. The sanctuary city policy has affected taxpayers with broad financial strains including shelter and housing costs. Hamilton has recently spent millions annually in emergency shelter overflow and hotel placements to handle demands. Because these pressures hit the municipal level, as mayor I would actively push the federal and provincial governments for millions in financial reimbursements to cover refugee and asylum claimant support.

As mayor I would advocate to grandfather in migrant Hamilton Families who have choose our city to find refuge and raise their children. Our newcomers that have made Hamilton home and proudly contribute, study, work and grow are an extension of how our city reflects a welcoming melting pot. Our diverse migrants are very valuable, bring different perspectives and are insightful. Hamiltonians alike are made up inclusive backgrounds, cultures and status. With that said as mayor I would fiercely lobby to grandfather our ready-made migrant families into Hamilton who will receive permanent access to sanctuary city policies. I will work routinely through municipal organisations like the Federation of Canadian Municipalities or the Association of Municipalities of Ontario to push the federal government to alter immigration policy's and communicate with federal members of parliament and cabinet ministers such as the ministry of immigration refugees and citizenship to propose legalizing the status of undocumented residents already living in the city of Hamilton calling it home for many years. These communications will be done in compliance with federal guidelines such as those outlined in the lobbying act. As mayor I will use my public platform, media and grassroots collations to build political pressure on the federal government to grant a blanket amnesty and stop of removal on deportations for specific demographics or all current non status migrants living in Hamilton. Employee training will be mandated, education for municipal employees to recognize and accommodate the rights of newcomers already living in Hamilton.

With all that said I do feel that Hamilton jumped the gun and joined the band wagon when pushing to become a sanctuary city shortly after Toronto made the decision to do so. It is alarming that Hamilton Leadership at the time did not take into consideration the public input and went ahead without real assessment as to how a sanctuary city would exhaust our resources in the long run and in turn harming Hamiltonians that are already struggling to say the least. By becoming a sanctuary city so shortly after the city of Toronto did appears as a ‘follow the leader” move that does not align with our Hammers strong, bright, community structures that seek long term stability. With the right, strong, leadership in touch with reality that practiced common sense, the sanctuary city would not have been passed, effectively reducing the hardship on our housing, food banks, infrastructure etc. Once the sanctuary city was announced many flocked to her city in record numbers pushing may Hamiltonians on the streets due strain on our resources. With all that said, I would put forward to council to end sanctuary city policies until our city has fully recovered and is able to accommodate.

In conclusion In the City of Hamilton as mayor, I could not unilaterally remove the cities sanctuary status. As reversing established municipal policies requires a formal vote by the full City Council. The key factors that dictate how this policy can be changed include council authority. The Hamiltons access to services for undocumented individuals was established in February 2014 via a unanimous vote by the City Council modifying or reversing this municipal designation similarly requires a successful majority vote out of formal council meeting.

In Unity,
Sasha Austin
Hamilton Mayoral Candidate

Thank-you Sasha for engaging with Hamiltonians on The Hamiltonian!