Immigration, inclusion and awareness were discussed at Tuesday’s Washington City Council meeting. During the public hearing portion of the meeting, Gaby Canchola, who has lived in Washington for over 15 years, said recently there was an incident where a car drove by and the occupants yelled racist remarks at children from 14 to four years old. She expressed concerns of racism and fear in Washington, and that fear leading to fewer people reporting crimes.

Mayor Sandra Johnson responded, “I am disappointed to hear our young residents are being exposed to that ugliness. They don’t deserve that.” Johnson added, she thinks the community will rally around cultural education events and awareness in town, “We’re all just people trying to raise our families, and when the community thinks about that aspect, I think that’s a great healing power.”

Later in the meeting, speaking of a proposed bill in the Iowa legislature that would require local police to enforce federal immigration laws, council member Kathy Salazar applauded the local police department and Police Chief for voicing opposition, “I’m extremely pleased that is the position our police department has taken. …I think that local police departments certainly have enough enforcing to do, that they don’t need to be going around trying to enforce federal law on top of it.” Police Chief Greg Goodman said the Iowa Police Chiefs Association voted against the Senate Study 1172 and House File 265.