City Council withdraws pro-dreamers resolution

Dreamers’ supporters reacted angrily Monday night to the City Council’s 6–1 vote to withdraw its resolution showing support for DACA recipients.

The resolution would have urged Congress and the White House to protect DACA recipients from deportation.

Some of those who protested the decision say it doesn’t provide a foundation saying Lincoln is a welcoming community.

"It might have been a symbolic gesture, but it was a gesture that would have shown Lincoln is an inviting community," says Latino activist Adrian Sanchez.

Sanchez says he knows many people who’ve contacted their federal delegates about this issue, but that they won’t listen.  They hoped the City Council passing its resolution doing so would have an impact.

"Even to just have that document on record saying ‘we support the dreamers in our community,’ I think, would have been a boost to our communities," he says.

The only council member to vote against withdrawing the resolution was Jane Raybould, who had put it on the council’s agenda.

"I want to express my disappointment that my colleagues are choosing not to support this resolution as it is written an the message we should be sending to our federal representatives," Raybould says.

Councilman Bennie Shobe filed the motion to withdraw it, saying his fellow councilmen felt uncomfortable about voting on a federal issue.

"We received lots of email from constituents in the community saying the same thing," Shobe says.

He says the council is still providing a symbolic gesture of support to dreamers by unanimously signing a letter to federal delegates with the same message the resolution had.

"They’re both symbolic gestures," he says.  "One of them has a little bit of a voting record behind it, that is what the audience and some of the people were advocating for."