Huntington Beach’s City Council voted on Monday evening to sue California over its SB 54 “sanctuary state” law, becoming the latest Orange County city to join the anti-sanctuary revolt.
The City Council voted 6-1 to sue California over SB 54 (“The California Values Act”), which prevents local authorities from honoring Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainers.
According to the Los Angeles Times, City Attorney Michael Gates said Huntington Beach will be the first city to challenge SB 54 in court. He reportedly added that he will file the lawsuit this week and hopes that “other cities in California follow our lead.”
Huntington Beach Mayor Mike Posey and Council Member Erik Peterson put the item on the agenda, with Posey saying that California’s sanctuary laws “all represent a threat to public safety” and the city needed to “seek relief” from the “constitutional overreach.”
Two weeks ago, Los Alamitos’s city council voted to defy SB 54, voting to exempt the city from the “sanctuary” law. Last week, Orange County’s Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 to join the Trump administration’s lawsuit against California’s three sanctuary laws and condemn SB 54.
And on Wednesday, Escondido’s city council is slated to discuss whether the city will defy California’s sanctuary laws, potentially becoming the first city in San Diego to do so. At least five other Orange County cities are slated to debate whether to defy the state’s “sanctuary” laws in the coming weeks.
According to the Times, “a majority of the audience” on Monday in Huntington Beach “dressed in Make America Great Again memorabilia and chanted ‘USA, USA, USA.’”
Orange resident Gerald Thomas reportedly told the story of how he and his family legally “waited in line” to come to the United States from the Philippines and eventually became U.S. citizens.
“Nobody offered us sanctuary or an easier way. If I can do it, everyone who came here illegally can do it too,” Thomas reportedly said. “It’s a personal insult if they think they can bypass our laws.”
Trump supporter and SB 54 opponent Elsa Aldeguer added, “We need legal immigrants. Not illegal immigrants.”
Last week, Trump tweeted that he and his administration stood in “solidarity” with “the brave citizens in Orange County defending their rights against California’s illegal and unconstitutional Sanctuary policies.”
My Administration stands in solidarity with the brave citizens in Orange County defending their rights against California’s illegal and unconstitutional Sanctuary policies. California’s Sanctuary laws….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 28, 2018
….release known dangerous criminals into communities across the State. All citizens have the right to be protected by Federal law and strong borders.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 28, 2018
Via Breitbart
