In a huge blow to Governor Jerry Brown’s inflated pride, San Diego county voted 3-1 on Tuesday to opt out of the state’s sanctuary status. Brown has been adamant about his support for illegal immigrants. In fact, the Trump Administration said on Monday that California’s governor decided not to send 400 National Guard personnel to the border because too many of the duties included some form of immigration control.
Despite the governor and his SB 54 sanctuary law, San Diego County and the small city of Los Alamitos in Orange County have opted out of the sanctuary status.
Several other cities are considering doing the same and supporting President Trump’s lawsuit against the state. The sanctuary status is a public safety issue, San Diego County board members said during the council meeting Tuesday.
“We’re talking about people who are crossing the border illegally, coming into this county and committing a crime and them being let loose probably to commit another crime,” said Dianne Jacob, supervisor for the district that covers East County. “That creates a public safety issue and creates a problem in our neighborhoods.”
Jacob said before SB 54 went into effect in January, “the status quo was safer in San Diego.” She claimed more arrests are being made in the community since the state law restricts local and state law enforcement from aiding the federal government in immigration control. “The best place for ICE to be is in the jail and not out in the community,” she said.
Supervisor Greg Cox was the only member to vote against opting out. “The board’s vote is a largely symbolic move that will create fear and divisiveness in our region, waste taxpayer funds and create distrust of law enforcement and local government within many communities,” Cox said.
Little City Fights Back Against the State
Located in Orange County and boasting a population of around 12,000, Los Alamitos played David to Brown’s Goliath and started a statewide revolution. Cities across California, especially in the southern region, have taken a page from the Los Alamitos’s book and are considering opting out of the Golden State’s sanctuary status.
On Monday, Los Alamitos city council members voted for the second time (two readings are required to pass an ordinance) to follow federal law instead of the state’s new SB 54 with a 4-1 vote. The ordinance will go into effect in 30 days.
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Councilman Mark Chirco was not happy with the result, saying the council was irresponsible for passing the ordinance and warning the city may be headed for a lawsuit. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) was not pleased with the outcome and immediately took to Twitter, calling the action a “blatant violation of the city's obligation to follow a state law that puts our local resources to use for the safety of our communities rather than toward federal immigration agencies.”
San Diego a Huge Dent in Brown’s Objective
To the right lies Tijuana, Baja California, and on the left is San Diego, California.
San Diego County sits directly on the California-Mexico border. It is the fifth most populous county in the United States, with more than 3 million residents, and the second most populous of the state. It’s a diverse region with a large Hispanic community.
Although Tuesday’s vote did not appeal to everyone, the all-Republican council still passed the ordinance. What does this mean for Brown and his “illegal immigration freedom” ideas and plans?
When a city as little as Los Alamitos stands up to the state government and inspires other municipalities to consider doing the same, what do you think it will mean now that a big dog like San Diego County has formally rejected the sanctuary status?
Many of the southern cities have at least expressed an interest in following Los Alamitos’ example. Now, however, a large stone has been cast into the pond, and the ripple effect will no doubt bring out many more cities that have been waiting on the banks to see what would happen.
Southern California has spoken, Jerry Boy. They want to protect their communities from illegal alien criminals. They want to help ICE do its job in immigration control. They want to secure their borders. They do not want to live in a sanctuary city or state. So, wake up, send the troops to the wall, and rescind SB 54 for the good of all your constituents.
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