REGULAR MEETING OF THE COMMISSION ON IMMIGRANT AFFAIRS MONDAY, AUGUST 3, 2026, AT 6:30 PM AUSTIN CITY HALL, ROOM 1101 301 W 2nd STREET AUSTIN, TEXAS Some members of the Commission on Immigrant Affairs may be participating by videoconference. Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation by telephone. To register to speak remotely, contact Nekaybaw Watson, 512-974-2562, nekaybaw.watson@austintexas.gov. CURRENT COMMISSIONERS : Miriam Dorantes, Chair Adrian De La Rosa Aditi Joshi Diane Kanawati Melissa Ortega Yohana Saucedo AGENDA CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Alondra Johnson, Vice-Chair Azeem Edwin Jeanne “Canan” Kaba Wilson Ramirez Meghna Roy Caroline Solis The first ten speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Commission on Immigrant Affairs regular meeting on July 6th , 2026. STAFF BRIEFING 2. Staff briefing regarding the new Officer Involved Shooting (OIS) Dashboard. Presentation by Sara Peralta, Public Information and Marketing Program Manager, Austin Police Oversight and Katrina Dorsey, Community Engagement Specialist, Austin Police Oversight. 3. Staff briefing regarding the Austin Resilience Network. Presentation by Natalie Lyell, Resilience and Partnerships Manager, Austin Emergency Management. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 4. Approve a Recommendation to Council regarding SAFE ATX. WORKING GROUP UPDATES 5. Update from the Joint Inclusion Committee (JIC) representative regarding July meeting of the JIC. 6. Update from Quality-of-Life Study Working group regarding recent meetings and study progress. (Current Members: Vice Chair Johnson, Commissioners: Edwin, Kaba, Kanawati, Joshi and Ortega) FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. For assistance, please contact the Liaison or TTY users’ route through 711. A person may request language access accommodations no later than 48 hours before the scheduled meeting. Please call or email Nekaybaw Watson at Austin City Clerk’s Office Department, at 512-974-2562 or nekaybaw.watson@austintexas.gov to request service or for additional information. For more information on the Commission on Immigrant Affairs please contact Nekaybaw Watson at 512-974-2562 or …
RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL Commission of Immigrant Affairs Recommendation Number: [20260803-004]: Recommendation on SAFE Alliance & Eloise House Date of Approval: August 3, 2026 Recommendation: The Commission on Immigrant Affairs recommends that the Austin City Council, in partnership with Travis County, ensure that Austin's response to domestic and sexual violence is grounded in a survivor-centered, trauma-informed continuum of care by maintaining investment in SAFE Alliance's survivor services and strengthening partnerships with SAFE Alliance to ensure survivors have seamless access to community-based advocacy, forensic services, shelter, counseling, legal services, and culturally responsive support. The Commission further recommends that the City prioritizes care models that minimize retraumatization and reduce barriers to accessing services, recognizing that trauma-informed care extends beyond the forensic exam and includes immediate advocacy, continuity of care, and coordinated wraparound services. The Commission also recommends that the City continues evaluating Austin's forensic exam system through meaningful engagement with survivors, advocates, and community-based organizations to ensure operational and funding decisions are guided by trauma-informed best practices and centered on the needs of survivors. Description of Recommendation to Council: SAFE Alliance has long operated Eloise House, Austin’s only community-based, non-hospital forensic exam center. The model integrates forensic nursing, crisis advocacy, legal services, shelter, counseling, and culturally responsive support into a coordinated continuum of care centered on survivor needs. Unlike a traditional hospital setting, Eloise House was intentionally designed to reduce trauma by providing: ● Trauma-informed forensic care ● A community-based setting outside the emergency room ● Services at no cost to survivors ● Advocates who remain with survivors throughout the forensic exam process ● Immediate connection to wraparound services, including shelter, counseling, legal advocacy, and safety planning SAFE Alliance currently provides approximately: ● 600 forensic exams annually ● Services to more than 700 survivors each day ● More than 27,000 SAFEline contacts each year ● Services in which approximately 50% of clients identify as Hispanic/Latinx ● Approximately 95% of regional forensic exams were through Eloise House (prior to ending the forensic exams) Although the transition of forensic exams has occurred, the Commission remains concerned that separating forensic exams from SAFE Alliance’s integrated advocacy model may increase barriers to care for survivors. The Commission believes Austin should continue strengthening partnerships with SAFE Alliance to ensure survivors have seamless access to advocacy, wraparound services, and culturally responsive support throughout the forensic exam process and beyond. It is equally critical that the City not reduce or …
COMMISSION ON IMMIGRANT AFFAIRS REGULAR MEETING MINUTES MONDAY, JULY 6, 2026 The Commission on Immigrant Affairs convened in a regular meeting on Monday, July 6, 2026, at 310 W 2nd Street in Austin, Texas. Vice Chair Johnson called the meeting to order at 6:38pm. Commissioners in Attendance: Alondra Johnson, Vice Chair Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Adrian De La Rosa Azeem Edwin Aditi Joshi Jeanne Kaba Diane Kanawati Melissa Ortega Caroline Solis Commissioners Absent: Miriam Dorantes, Chair Wilson Ramirez Meghna Roy Yohanna Saucedo PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Salvador Espinoza – Funding SAFE Heidi Bray – Keep ICE out of Austin, and SAFE APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Commission on Immigrant Affairs Regular Meeting on June 1, 2026. The minutes of the June 1st, 2026 regular meeting of the Commission on Immigrant Affairs was approved on Commissioner Kanawati’s motion, Commissioner Joshi’s 1 second on an 8-0 vote. Chair Dorantes and Commissioners Ramirez, Roy, and Saucedo were absent. STAFF BRIEFING 2. Staff briefing regarding an update to the Levers of Economic Mobility Index. Presentation by Gary Aaron, Business Process Consultant Sr., Austin Equity and Inclusion and Shivani Datar, Business Process Specialist, Austin Equity and Inclusion. Briefing was given by Gary Aaron, Business Process Consultant Sr., Austin Equity and Inclusion and Shivani Datar, Business Process Specialist, Austin Equity and Inclusion. 3. 4. Staff briefing regarding the Human Rights Impact Review. Presentation by Dr. Lindsey Wilson, Director, Austin Equity and Inclusion and Shafina Khaki, Human Rights Officer, Austin Equity and Inclusion. Briefing was given by Dr. Lindsey Wilson, Director, Austin Equity and Inclusion and Shafina Khaki, Human Rights Officer, Austin Equity and Inclusion. Staff briefing regarding policy changes in lieu of SB 4. Presentation by Lee Rogers, Chief of Staff, Austin Police. Briefing was given by Lee Rogers, Chief of Staff, Austin Police. DISCUSSION ITEMS 5. Approve a Recommendation to Council regarding the Austin Resilience Network. The motion to approve a recommendation to council regarding the Austin Resilience Network was approved on Commissioner De La Rosa’s motion, Commissioner Joshi’s second on an 8-0 vote. Chair Dorantes and Commissioners Ramirez, Roy, and Saucedo were absent. WORKING GROUP UPDATES 6. 7. Update from the Joint Inclusion Committee representative regarding May and June meeting of the JIC. Update provided by Commissioner Edwin. Update from Quality-of-Life Study Working group regarding recent meetings and study progress. (Current Members: Vice Chair Johnson, Commissioners: Edwin, Kaba, Kanawati, Joshi, and …
Officer Involved Shooting Dashboard Austin Police Oversight About Austin Police Oversight Austin Police Oversight is a separate and independent department from APD created to provide impartial oversight of the Austin Police Department’s conduct, practices, and policies to enhance accountability, inform the public to increase transparency and create sustainable partnerships throughout the community. ACCOUNTABILITY TRANSPARENCY PARTNERSHIPS 2 About Austin Police Oversight WHAT WE DO WHAT WE DO NOT DO ✓ Separate, independent, civilian oversight ✓ Review all community complaints ✓ We have full access to all APD databases ✓ Make recommendations to the Chief of Police & City Manager related to discipline, administrative policies and training ✓ Educate community members about the complaint process, our reports and recommendations, and their rights when interacting with law enforcement We do NOT work for or report to APD or the Chief of Police We do NOT oversee other law enforcement agencies We do NOT oversee criminal cases We do NOT administer discipline to officers We are NOT the final decision-makers on issues related to discipline and training 3 OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTING DASHBOARD View Online 4 About Officer Involved Shootings ▪ An officer involved shooting is when an APD officer discharges their firearm. ▪ APO’s last OIS report was released in June 2020. 5 Making Information More Accessible The new Officer-Involved Shooting Dashboard was created to: • Transform historical reports into an interactive tool • • Increase transparency Improve public access to information • Support public understanding with data-driven insights What's included: Demographics (subject & officers) Incident Summaries Use of Force Details Trends over time Geographic Mapping Filter by district, year, etc. 6 Data Governance Incident summaries (date, location, outcome) Demographics (subjects & officers) Use-of-force details (weapon type etc) Trends over time (currently 5 years, 2018-2025) Geographic mapping of incidents Filters (year, district, etc.) Data Validation Processes ▪ Critical Incident Briefing (CIB) Info ▪ SIU Yearly Spreadsheets ▪ Internal Affairs (IA ) Case Files 7 Overview Page 8 Officer Insights 9 Subject Insights 10 Incident Details 11 Spanish Dashboard 12 User Accessibility and Testing ▪ English and Spanish language dashboard launched simultaneously ▪ User testing performed by APO staff and volunteers from the City’s Shared Voices program ▪ Logical tab order, high contrast alternative color themes etc. ▪ Meets Federal web accessibility requirements (WCAG 2.1) 13 What’s Next? • Establish a process for updating and maintaining the dashboard. • Present dashboard to community and commissions. • …
Austin Resilience Network Austin Emergency Management | Mass Care AEM Organization Structure Austin Emergency Management 2 Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Central command and coordination hub where government agencies, emergency services, and partner organizations come together to manage emergencies and disasters. Unplanned Incidents Planned Events 3 Austin Resilience Network (ARN) Resilience Hub Pilot Program ▪ Austin City Council Resolution ▪ Community Advisory Committee ▪ 6 Focus Areas ▪ Physical Resilience Upgrades to 6 City facilities ▪ 6 Power Backups, 4 Solar & Battery Backups ▪ 6 Mission Ready Packages ▪ 2 Community Gardens ▪ 16 Total Pilot Facilities: recreation, health & neighborhood centers 5 Pilot Program Wrap Up What went well Challenges Opportunities • Community Collaboration • Defining Resilience • Relationship Based • Equity Focus • Community Expectations • Build on Existing Trust • Increased Preparedness • Facilities • Scalable & Flexible • Location Focused 6 Austin Resilience Network (ARN) A network of City and community resources that equitably empower individuals to prepare for, endure, and bounce back stronger from community-wide shocks, stressors, and emergencies. ▪ Collaborative & community led ▪ Complex solutions for complex disasters ▪ Framework for strategic partnerships ▪ Empower organizations & community members ▪ Interagency collaboration 7 Who can be a Partner? Any organization willing to collaborate in a synchronized effort towards emergency preparedness, response, and recovery. • Trusted sources of information • Active responders during emergencies • Involved with the community • Engaged in disaster resilience • Provide goods or services to those in need Animal Welfare Sheltering Laundry Networks of organizations Tax Assistance Elder Care Mental Health Support Faith-based organizations Clothing Debris Removal Food Prep & Distribution Healthcare Navigation 8 ARN Operations: Coordination & Information Sharing Bridge between community-based organizations and government agencies Promote real-time, 2-way information sharing Consolidate & organize information Connect unmet needs with existing resources 9 2025 Network Utilization: May Microburst 10 Process Benefits Metrics 1. Outreach Mass Care Hotline • ARN Partnership Application • Exploratory Meetings • Operational Visits 2. Partnership • Sign an Agreement 3. Database • Dynamic and Real-time Information Information Sharing & Communication Resource Sharing Training 85 Signed ARN Partnership Agreements 82 Organizations in Active Outreach 17 Operational Visits 11 Preparedness Resources CERT Trainings Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) August 21st -23rd Upcoming Preparedness Pop Ups District 6 Wed., June 17, 2026 3-6 p.m. Spicewood Springs Branch District 9 Wed., July 15, 2026 3-6 p.m. Twin Oaks Branch …
RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL Commission of Immigrant Affairs Recommendation Number: [20260803-004]: Recommendation on SAFE Alliance & Eloise House Date of Approval: Recommendation: The Commission on Immigrant Affairs recommends that the Austin City Council, in partnership with Travis County, ensure that Austin's response to domestic and sexual violence is grounded in a survivor-centered, trauma-informed continuum of care by maintaining investment in SAFE Alliance's survivor services and strengthening partnerships with SAFE Alliance to ensure survivors have seamless access to community-based advocacy, forensic services, shelter, counseling, legal services, and culturally responsive support. The Commission further recommends that the City prioritizes care models that minimize retraumatization and reduce barriers to accessing services, recognizing that trauma-informed care extends beyond the forensic exam and includes immediate advocacy, continuity of care, and coordinated wraparound services. The Commission also recommends that the City continues evaluating Austin's forensic exam system through meaningful engagement with survivors, advocates, and community-based organizations to ensure operational and funding decisions are guided by trauma-informed best practices and centered on the needs of survivors. Description of Recommendation to Council: SAFE Alliance has long operated Eloise House, Austin’s only community-based, non-hospital forensic exam center. The model integrates forensic nursing, crisis advocacy, legal services, shelter, counseling, and culturally responsive support into a coordinated continuum of care centered on survivor needs. Unlike a traditional hospital setting, Eloise House was intentionally designed to reduce trauma by providing: ● Trauma-informed forensic care ● A community-based setting outside the emergency room ● Services at no cost to survivors ● Advocates who remain with survivors throughout the forensic exam process ● Immediate connection to wraparound services, including shelter, counseling, legal advocacy, and safety planning SAFE Alliance currently provides approximately: ● 600 forensic exams annually ● Services to more than 700 survivors each day ● More than 27,000 SAFEline contacts each year ● Services in which approximately 50% of clients identify as Hispanic/Latinx ● Approximately 95% of regional forensic exams were through Eloise House (prior to ending the forensic exams) Although the transition of forensic exams has occurred, the Commission remains concerned that separating forensic exams from SAFE Alliance’s integrated advocacy model may increase barriers to care for survivors. The Commission believes Austin should continue strengthening partnerships with SAFE Alliance to ensure survivors have seamless access to advocacy, wraparound services, and culturally responsive support throughout the forensic exam process and beyond. It is equally critical that the City not reduce or eliminate funding for …
