It probably comes as no surprise that California’s politicians are doubling down against President Trump’s immigration law enforcement policies.
State and local leaders in California struck a defiant tone Monday, saying they would continue to protect people in the country illegally despite an announcement by U.S. Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions that the U.S. Department of Justice would soon cut federal grants from so-called sanctuary cities….[I]n Sacramento the swiftest reaction came from state Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles), who is championing legislation that would effectively make California a sanctuary state by prohibiting state and local police from enforcing federal immigration laws. He called Sessions’ statements “nothing short of blackmail.”“Instead of making us safer, the Trump administration is spreading fear and promoting race-based scapegoating,” De León said in a statement. “Their gun-to-the-head method to force resistant cities and counties to participate in Trump’s inhumane and counterproductive mass-deportation is unconstitutional and will fail.”
However, as Dawn Wildman (Founder-CA Tea Party Groups Coalition) pointed out recently, plenty of regular Californians are opposed to “Sanctuary Cities”. Many citizen groups, including those representing various Latino communities, are lobbying Sacramento to reject Senate Bill 54 (California’s “Sanctuary State” measure).
But in a move that may shock many of our readers, these groups have now been joined by a team of mayors from California’s less glamorous cities:
A group of local elected officials from around San Diego County on Wednesday announced a new group they say will organize opposition to a bill in Sacramento to limit cooperation between local police and federal immigration authorities.El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells called a press conference to announce the formation of the group, “Mayors for Safe Cities.” Members oppose SB 54, or the California Values Act, which is currently in the state legislature….Among the other elected officials at the press conference were Escondido Mayor Sam Abed, Poway Mayor Steve Vaus and San Marcos Mayor Jim Desmond. San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, who is currently in Mexico City advocating for closer cross-border cooperation, has rejected the label of “sanctuary city” for San Diego, but supports some policies associated with the sanctuary city movement.
I am sure many in the Legal Insurrection audience are shocked that some of our elected leaders care more about their citizens and taxpayers than they do about progressive glory.
However, not all California’s mayors are on board with the “Safe Cities” model. California reporter and occasional Legal Insurrection contributor Katy Grimes reviewed Sacramento Mayor Darell Steinberg and his criticizing the Trump administration’s immigration policies and ICE’s deportation practices during a recent episode of The John McGinness Show she guest hosted.
Interestingly, a recent Rasmussen poll indicate most Americans reject the Sanctuary City concept.
Elected officials in many communities have declared themselves sanctuaries for illegal immigrants, refusing to cooperate with federal immigration authorities, and 35% of Likely U.S. Voters favor the community they live in declaring itself a sanctuary community. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 52% oppose their community declaring itself a sanctuary for illegal immigrants.
It seems California may be more in-tune with the rest of the country than our leading politicians and the mainstream media would have you believe. Let’s hope that our “Safe City” mayors prevail in this battle.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL VERSION OF THIS STORY