We are calling on Ventura to become a true transgender sanctuary

Update: The Ventura CARE Policy — a non-compliance sanctuary policy protecting immigration, transgender, and reproductive rights — is coming back before City Council for a final vote Thursday June 26th.

🔗 Read the full policy: https://www.cityofventura.ca.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_06262025-3429

Email City Council Now Urging Support
Michelle Rosenblum, a transgender woman, attends the Ventura City Council meeting. Rosenblum advocated for the CARE Policy. 
(Michael Owen Baker/For The Times)

Transgender people are scared. The Trump administration and the MAGA movement are laying the legal and cultural groundwork to imprison, forcibly detransition, harm transgender people, or worse.

If this sounds dramatic or alarmist to you, we invite you to reassure us with action. This site exists to explain exactly why we’re afraid and what we need to do about it.

Donald Trump has already used extremely dangerous rhetoric about transgender people—language that dehumanizes and incites. He has signed executive orders that erase our legal existence, cut off healthcare, and ban us from public life. He has a record of fabricating national emergencies to justify authoritarian action. Now, with Project 2025 rapidly taking shape, the federal government is aligning with state and local attacks on transgender people to form a coordinated nationwide campaign of repression.

Update: May 27th, 2025 – Trump orders local authorities in California to stop a transgender youth athlete from competing. Governor Gavin Newsom has clarified that for the track and field championships, transgender students will be scored separately as “their own category.” This makes it the first blue state to institute a sports ban on trans students competing in girls sports.

This is not a drill. This is how internment begins, just as it did with Japanese Americans during World War II. The precedent already exists. The legal tools are being reactivated. The political will is there.

At the very least, we need immediate non-compliance policies at the local level, policies that instruct city and county officials to refuse to enforce or cooperate with unconstitutional federal mandates.

But let’s be clear: non-compliance is not protection. It is neutrality, and in the face of tyranny, neutrality is abandonment.

True sanctuary means protection. Local law enforcement must be prepared to form a barrier between transgender residents and federal tyranny. If our institutions will not defend us, then we are forced to ask: At what point are transgender people expected to exercise our Second Amendment rights to defend ourselves?

  • Isn’t “sanctuary” too politically charged?
    The word isn’t what matters—real protections are. Avoiding the term out of fear plays into the same centrist paralysis that’s failed to meet this moment. That being said, what matters is whether action is taken to defend people at risk.
    👉 A word on the word “sanctuary” →

Why Ventura?

Ventura has always prided itself on being a community rooted in dignity, safety, and inclusion. But today, as the federal government escalates its attacks on transgender people, reproductive rights, and immigrant communities, we need more than words—we need policy.

That’s why we’re starting right here at home.

Ventura is currently considering the Community Autonomy, Rights, and Equality (CARE) Policy, a local ordinance designed to ensure that our city will not cooperate with identity-based federal targeting. The CARE policy affirms Ventura’s commitment to refusing participation in any federal actions that would undermine the rights of transgender people, immigrants, or those seeking reproductive care.

The CARE policy was co-developed by local activist Amber Thompson in collaboration with Councilmember Liz Campos, and is now being championed by Councilmember Ryyn Schumacher. Though it was initially delayed, it is scheduled to return for a City Council vote in June 2025. This vote matters—not just symbolically, but materially, in how our city chooses to treat its most vulnerable residents.

While the CARE policy doesn’t even include the word “sanctuary,” and makes no guarantees of material protection or legal defense, it’s still a critical first move. This is a non-compliance policy, not a sanctuary policy—but it is a meaningful start. CARE is the compromise. City officials present it as bold and progressive, but the truth is: we need so much more. Refusing to comply with identity-based federal targeting should be the bare minimum. If this is considered controversial, it shows just how far we still have to go. Ventura should pass CARE—and then keep going. Every city in this county, this state, and this country should be moving in this direction and beyond.

We are starting here because this is our hometown. But our vision extends further—Ojai, Oxnard, and Santa Barbara are watching. If we can pass this in Ventura, we send a message across the region and the country: Transgender people deserve sanctuary in every city.

Let’s make Ventura part of this momentum!

What Happened—and What’s Next

On March 18, 2025, more than 130 people packed Ventura City Hall to speak on the CARE Policy—turning the meeting into a five-hour flashpoint over the city’s role in defending LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, and reproductive rights. Supporters spoke passionately. Opponents shouted, waved graphic signs, and spread misinformation.

Despite the overwhelming turnout, the City Council delayed the vote. Councilmember Liz Campos, who introduced the policy, pulled it to refine the language and bring back a stronger version. Councilmember Ryyn Schumacher continues to champion the measure, with a revised draft expected to return for a vote in June 2025.

✅ Watch the full meeting: YouTube Live Replay »
🎤 Watch Michelle Rosenblum speak: Jump to clip »
📅 Next meeting date: June 26th, Thursday. Will show on the city agenda a week ahead.
✍️ Stay in the loop: Sign the Change.org petition to get email updates.
📄 Read the initial CARE policy: Download the draft (PDF) » — A new version has not yet been made public, but will be posted here as soon as it is.

Where Ventura’s City Council Stands on Trans Sanctuary

The Community Autonomy, Rights, and Equality (CARE) Policy will return to Ventura City Council at the end of June 2025. This local ordinance would make Ventura safer for its transgender residents by refusing to cooperate with federal efforts targeting trans, immigrant, and reproductive rights.

A Turning Point

After recent meetings with Mayor Jeannette Sanchez-Palacios and Councilmembers, it’s clear: they are listening, engaged, and working toward making the CARE policy stronger and more effective. With Councilmember Liz Campos and Councilmember Ryyn Schumacher leading the charge—and support growing within City Hall—momentum is on our side.

A clearer, more powerful draft is being finalized with help from local advocates and state staff, and the upcoming City Council presentation will be stronger and more grounded in California law. The mood has shifted: there is growing confidence this will pass.

What We Need Now

We’ve never been closer—but that’s exactly why your voice matters most right now. We need to show Ventura’s leadership that the community stands united behind this policy.

👉 Email all Councilmembers today to thank them for listening and urge them to pass the CARE policy.

Contact Ventura’s City Council

Email Ventura City Council

Or reach out individually:

Questions, Concerns, and Misconceptions

We recognize that not everyone is on board yet. Below are some common questions, each with a short response and a link to learn more:

  • Will Ventura lose federal funding if we pass this?
    No. CARE does not violate federal law and cities routinely adopt non-cooperation policies without losing funding.
    👉 Read more about funding risks →

  • Isn’t California already a safe place for transgender people?
    California has stronger protections than most states, but even here, support for LGBTQ+ rights is slipping as some Democrats retreat to appease centrist narratives. Times can change quickly—and we need protections at every level of government, even if they seem redundant today.
    👉 Why local action still matters →

  • Do cities even have the legal authority to refuse federal cooperation?
    Yes. The Tenth Amendment gives local governments the right to decline participation in federal enforcement.
    👉 See legal precedents for non-compliance →

  • Is the CARE policy purely symbolic or does it have real impact?
    It’s not symbolic—it sets legal boundaries and sends a message to both state and federal agencies.
    👉 How CARE enforces protection →

  • Isn’t “sanctuary” too politically charged?
    The word isn’t what matters—real protections are. Avoiding the term out of fear plays into the same centrist paralysis that’s failed to meet this moment. That being said, what matters is whether action is taken to defend people at risk.
    👉 A word on the word “sanctuary” →

  • Could this divide the community or invite retaliation?
    Leadership often requires courage in the face of backlash. History honors cities that stood on the right side of justice.
    👉 Handling pushback and standing firm →

What You Can Do

Let them know where you stand. Let them know you’re watching.

We don’t need statements—we need policy. And we need courage.

Email Ventura City Council