photo by: Bremen Keasey

Public commenters protest a proposed resolution that would undo some of Lawrence's antidiscrimination ordinances, at Tuesday's City Commission meeting.

Nearly two dozen residents emotionally and publicly beseeched the Lawrence City Commission to not consider a resolution that could potentially harm vulnerable populations in the community.

The city had included Resolution No. 7599 on Tuesday’s agenda when the agenda was first publicly posted on Thursday evening. That resolution, in order to “comply with federal Executive Orders of the current administration,” would have suspended the enforcement of ordinances, policies or regulations in the city that assist marginalized communities.

The Trump administration has threatened to end funding to cities that continue to enforce policies that help protect marginalized communities. In the agenda item regarding Resolution No. 7599, the city included a letter dated April 24 from Sean Duffy, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, which said that based on recent judicial rulings, any policies based on prohibited classification, including “practices designed to achieve so-called ‘diversity, equity or inclusion’…presumptively violates Federal law.” The letter demanded cooperation with federal authorities, including “cooperating with and not impeding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.” The letter said that policies that the administration would consider discriminatory would constitute a violation of federal grant agreements.

Cori Wallace, a spokesperson for the City of Lawrence, said in a statement that the city could potentially lose $8 million in federal grants for a variety of projects if the Trump administration followed through on those threats. The resolution item was pulled from the agenda on Monday, with the city noting that it “has been temporarily removed from the agenda” so city staff and commissioners could “explore potential pathways and compliance options in greater depth.”

While the item was pulled from consideration, residents urged the commissioners to never approve a resolution that would suspend the enforcement of any ordinances or policies that protect vulnerable populations, like trans people or undocumented immigrants, saying such an action would betray Lawrence’s character and history.

“Lawrencians have fought long and hard to protect vulnerable people,” commenter Iris Craver said. “This is not the time to let the fascists in Washington, D.C., bully and threaten our community with fears of losing our federal funding.”

Craver added that the Lawrence school board recently faced a similar sort of pressure, and it pushed back. She asked the city to similarly push back and say, “This is not happening in my town.”

photo by: Bremen Keasey/Journal-World

Iris Craver addresses the Lawrence City Commission during public comment Tuesday night. Craver was one of nearly 20 people who spoke against a proposed resolution that would undo local ordinances protecting vulnerable populations to align with federal guidelines under the Trump administration.

Nearly every commenter urging the city to reject such a resolution cited Lawrence’s progressive history. Those who spoke and identified themselves as trans or queer said the accepting community in Lawrence was the reason they loved the town. Jessica Brunson said that suspending those protections “would compromise and endanger vulnerable citizenry” in Lawrence and open the door to more threats for marginalized groups.

One commenter, citing the infamous Quantrill’s Raid of 1863, when pro-slavery forces burned Lawrence, asked why the city would “even consider capitulating to tyrants” now.

Lawrence currently has multiple ordinances that potentially could violate Trump’s orders. Ordinance No. 9999, which the commission passed in July 2023, declares the City of Lawrence a “safe haven for all persons from the effects of discriminatory acts, legislation, regulation and other actions.” In September 2020, the city approved an ordinance providing protections for undocumented immigrants, including language that asked the Lawrence Police Department to make changes to policy to “limit police cooperation with federal immigration agents for noncriminal matters,” as the Journal-World reported.

Farris Muhammad, the city’s director of Equity and Inclusion, said in a statement that the city “did not create” this situation but is responsible for responding to the changes in guidelines while retaining the well-being of the community.

Wallace said in the statement the city aims to “strike a balance” of navigating the new mandates that could risk losing money for projects while “not abandoning (its) core values.” Muhammad echoed that sentiment, saying:

“Regardless of shifts at the federal level or who occupies the White House for four years, the people of Lawrence remain here — raising families, building futures, and hoping to retire in a city that reflects their values.”

Many of the commenters expressed frustration that the resolution was even ever considered. One person likened it to the people’s rights being “put on the chopping block.” She said it was frustrating to hear the city trying to balance the demands of the Trump administration when “there is no balance to be struck here” when it comes to human rights.

Dave Westlake agreed, saying the city should not think about backing down, citing the Trump administration’s apparent disregard for the rule of law.

“Capitulation will get us nowhere,” Westlake said.

Umut Bayramoglu said her parents grew up under an authoritarian regime in Turkey in the 1970s. Both her parents were at different times thrown in prison and tortured, before they were able to move away. Bayramoglu said she personally had various visas that let her live in the U.S. before she became a naturalized citizen, but she said that threats to immigrants were worsening, with some citizens or legal residents being arrested and sent to prisons in Louisiana or even El Salvador.

Bayramoglu said she wanted to “ring the alarm bells” about authoritarianism as someone who has experienced it. She warned commissioners that authoritarian rule “can happen here,” and urged them to not change any ordinances protecting vulnerable people.

“Authoritarians don’t go away,” Bayramoglu said. “Nothing you’ll ever do (will satisfy) them. They’ll keep coming and coming and coming.”