The United States and its inhabitants pride themselves on many mantras, one of them being that all are innocent until proven guilty. Now, it's time for San Francisco to live up to it.

San Francisco District 9 Supervisor David Campos is currently addressing the issue of presumed innocence through his "confidentiality of juveniles' immigration status" ordinance -- an amendment proposal that, if passed, will protect undocumented immigrant minors from being handed over to immigration authorities unless they are convicted of a crime.

To a larger extent, San Francisco does need to ensure families are not separated when a juvenile is wrongfully sent to an out-of-state detainment center and deported for merely being suspected of what are often petty offenses such as graffiti or fighting.

Campos' proposal sends a firm message to all in the city: Everyone deserves their day in court -- documented or undocumented. This proposal concerns privacy, public safety and human rights and demands due process for juveniles.

Though the ordinance addresses a minute fraction of the more complicated sanctuary city topic, the issue at hand is that if you are not convicted of a crime, you aren't a criminal.

Under San Francisco's sanctuary ordinance, tailored in 1989, city employees are barred from "helping Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with immigration investigations or arrests unless such help is required by federal or state law or a warrant," according to the city's Web site.

Newsom had revised the ordinance last year after 22-year-old Edwin Ramos, an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador, killed Tony Bologna and his two sons. Prior to the murders, Ramos had been arrested for felonies as a minor but was never turned over to immigration authorities. If the current proposal had been in effect at the time of these prior convictions, Ramos would have been reported to ICE.

As the sanctuary ordinance stands today, all an undocumented minor has to do to be turned over to immigration authorities is be suspected of a crime -- not actually convicted of one.

The proposed ordinance will be presented before the Public Safety Committee on Oct. 5 before going before the board of supervisors. With only three of the city's 11 supervisors in opposition -- supervisors Carmen Chu, Michela Alioto-Pier and Sean Elsbernd -- the proposal is veto-proof from Mayor Gavin Newsom.

There are claims that Campos' proposal will violate federal law, but the city's long-standing sanctuary ordinance has done so for the last 20 years, along with other cities nationwide. And while some will undoubtedly view these undocumented immigrant youths as lawbreakers who should have no right whatsoever to have a court date, basic rights are at stake.