Leaders of a Southern California city fed up with the state’s immigration policies have voted to become a “non-sanctuary” city and ignore the state’s sanctuary laws.
The resolution was approved Tuesday night by the Huntington Beach City Council on a unanimous 7-0 vote. Mayor Pat Burns, who introduced the bill, “Crime Prevention Non-Sanctuary City for Illegal Immigration,” said the move was a matter of public safety.
“This is in the best interest of our community, Huntington Beach, to make sure we’re using every possible aspect of law enforcement to make it the best place to live,” Burns, a former law enforcement official, said during a meeting Tuesday alongside a bust of President Donald Trump.
The move directs city police officers to cooperate with federal immigration authorities and to notify immigration officials when they are about to release an illegal immigrant from jail.
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Huntington Beach Mayor Pat Burns introduced a resolution to declare the city a non-sanctuary city. (City of Huntington Beach)
The resolution “deliberately bypasses[s] the governor’s efforts to undermine the good work of federal immigration authorities and to publicize the city’s cooperation with the federal government, the Trump administration and the work of border czar Tom Homan,” the city said in a statement.
Sanctuary cities prohibit their law enforcement personnel from cooperating federal immigration authorities. The practice is under scrutiny because it protects criminal illegal immigrants from deportation.
President Donald Trump, left, and border czar Tom Homan (Getty Images)
Along with the resolution, Huntington Beach is suing the state over sanctuary state laws, which it claims are unconstitutional.
Before the vote, Councilman Chad Williams chided state lawmakers for enacting policies to protect illegal immigrants, including those convicted of violent crimes.
“If we want to voluntarily cooperate with federal authorities to protect our community, that’s absolutely our prerogative,” he said. “It’s just basic common sense. Why wouldn’t you want to use every tool available to keep your community safe?”
Huntington Beach has declared itself a non-sanctuary city. City leaders said they would cooperate with federal immigration officials. (Reuters/Lucy Nicholson)
The text of the resolution mentions crimes committed by illegal immigrants on behalf of criminal groups such as MS-13 and Tren de Aragua, which gained widespread attention after its members were allegedly terrorized residents in an apartment complex in Colorado.
Tuesday’s vote comes weeks after California Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed a “Trump-proof” legal defense fund of up to $25 million for California department of justice. Trump has vowed to target illegal immigrant criminals for deportation.
“Especially in California, fighting crime is hard enough with lax criminal laws and lack of enforcement. The state should get out of the way of local law enforcement, stop handcuffing our police officers and California cities, and get back to the business of protecting innocent citizens,” he said. Michael Gates, Huntington Beach City Attorney.
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“Emphasically, a state should not take the position of violating federal immigration laws or encourage cities to violate federal immigration laws.”
