Defiance Grows! Yet Another California City Votes to Reject ‘Sanctuary State’ Status

Another California city has voted to resist the “resistance” by choosing to reject Governor Brown’s sanctuary state policy.

After a heated and passionate city council meeting on Tuesday, the city of Santa Clarita voted to support the federal government’s immigrations laws and reject California’s political posturing of declaring the entire state a “sanctuary” for illegal immigrants.

Tuesday’s meeting saw more than 130 speakers voicing their opinions for and against the move to force state and local law enforcement agencies to report criminal aliens to immigration officials prior to their release from prison.

There were also 442 resident emails supporting the City Council’s action to oppose California’s law and 63 emails in opposition of the Council’s motion, according to Councilman Cameron Smyth.

The meeting lasted more than 7 hours and ended just after 1:10 a.m.

“If nothing else it tells Sacramento there’s one town in this state that doesn’t go along with this and I’ll make that a motion as to how we proceed this evening,” said Councilman Bob Kellar.

“I want America to be strong. To be strong, you’re just going to have to find some compromise and stop fighting with each other. you gotta start caring for each other,” said Mayor Laurene Weste. “This discussion we’re having here tonight belonged in Washington D.C…. but we are here to make some policy and at least let those thoughts be known. They have failed to bring immigration policy to something rational in the 21st century.

“Our greatest concern at all times, at all times, is keeping you safe,” Weste added. “I can’t believe that anyone, on any side of this issue, wants criminals to harm their friends or their family, and I don’t care where you come from, or who you are, or what your race is — I can’t believe anyone wants that.”

Both Weste and Kellar recalled the death of Deputy David March, who was shot and killed April 29, 2002. March was killed by a Mexican citizen who has been deported multiple times and had said he wanted to kill a police officer during a traffic stop.

At issue was Senate Bill 54, the California Values Act. The legislation repealed prior state law requiring law enforcement agencies to notify federal immigration authorities of drug-related arrests involving non-U.S. citizens. It also prohibits law enforcement from sharing information and release dates of individuals arrested, detained or convicted of a misdemeanor that was previously a felony.

Multiple cities in Orange County have already declared their intention to defy the state’s anti-citizen policies on illegal immigration. Santa Clarita has the distinction of being the first city in Los Angeles County to do the same.

At issue is the state’s conflation of violent and non-violent illegal aliens. Trump’s ICE has said they are concentrating on deporting illegal aliens who have committed violent crimes, most notably those involved in gang activity. They do not prefer to wade into residential neighborhoods to for immigration sweeps. Doing so only puts non-violent illegal aliens at risk as ICE will be forced to arrest anyone without documentation regardless of their lack of violent criminal history. By limiting their sweeps to prison holds, they avoid that scenario. The state of California has deliberately blocked their ability to know which violent illegal aliens are up for release, essentially forcing ICE into the very neighborhoods they prefer to avoid.

It is a safety issue for citizens and those here illegally alike. Jerry Brown and his Sacramento cronies did not consider the wishes of the towns and counties they are charged with caring for. Instead, they choose to posture as the heroes who defied Trump. As the Santa Clarita mayor said, this is a federal issue that was brought to the doorstep of every law-abiding citizen in California.

Jerry Brown and the rest of the Sacramento political class have officially chosen childish “resistance” over the wishes and well-being of their own voters and taxpayers.

Shame on them all.

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