Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

A32 FEATURE
Tuesday 17 april 2018

Some in California side with U.S. stance on sanctuary cities

LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. (AP) versity, Los Angeles, said it's
— More local governments not surprising Republicans
in California are saying they are galvanizing over immi-
don't want to be part of the gration.
state's efforts to resist the "Politics is very much about
Trump administration's im- emotions, especially in mid-
migration crackdown, es- terms," he said. "I think it was
pecially in pockets where only a matter of time when
Republicans still dominate people went back to the
in the otherwise Democrat- issue that actually hits the
ic state. nerve in the Republican
Since the Jeff Sessions- base these days more than
led Department of Justice any other."
sued California last month Under Democratic leader-
over its so-called "sanctu- ship, California has enact-
ary state" law limiting po- ed a series of laws in recent
lice collaboration with im- years aimed at helping im-
migration agents, at least migrants, including issuing
a dozen local governments driver's licenses regardless
have voted to either join or of legal status and assisting
support the lawsuit or for with tuition at state universi-
resolutions opposing the ties. After Trump was elect-
state's position. In this March 27, 2018, file photo, David Hernandez, left, Genevieve Peters, center, and Jennifer ed, lawmakers passed the
Those include the Board Martinez celebrate after the Orange County Board of Supervisors voted to join the U.S. Department measure to limit police col-
of Supervisors in Orange of Justice lawsuit against the State of California's sanctuary cities law (SB54) during their meeting laboration with federal im-
County, which has more in Santa Ana, Calif. migration agents.
than 3 million people. Associated Press Immigrant and civil rights
More action is coming this sure backed by Republi- where one in four people 'Hey, California is on the advocates applauded the
week, with leaders in the can Gov. Pete Wilson in are foreign-born. But the wrong side of this thing,'" measure as a way to en-
Orange County city of the 1990s to deny public Trump administration law- said Fred Whitaker, chair- courage immigrants to re-
Los Alamitos scheduled health care and educa- suit has energized many man of the Republican port crime to police without
to vote Monday on a pro- tion to immigrants in the in a party that has been Party in Orange County. He fearing deportation. Critics
posal to exempt the com- country illegally. It was later rendered nearly irrelevant also is a councilman in the said it would make it too
munity of 12,000 from the overturned but left a linger- at the state level, where city of Orange who pro- difficult for federal agents
state law. Demonstrators ing resentment among the Democrats control every posed a local resolution on to find and deport ex-con-
for and against the plan state's growing Hispanic key office. the issue that passed last victs who are a danger to
are expected to gather population. "When the attorney gener- week. communities.
outside City Hall ahead of In recent years, California al of the United States de- Raphael Sonenshein, ex- Most of the local gov-
the council meeting set for Republicans have taken cides to take a firm position ecutive director of the Pat ernments siding with the
6 p.m. a less strident approach against it, I think that gave Brown Institute for Public Af- Trump administration are
On Tuesday, the San Diego to immigration in a state a signal to a lot of us that, fairs at California State Uni- in Orange County, an area
County Board of Supervi- once considered a GOP
sors is meeting to consider stronghold but that voted
joining the Trump adminis- for Hillary Clinton in the
tration lawsuit. 2016 presidential election.
Some of the supervisors But it's starting to spread.
pushing the issue in Orange Escondido in neighboring
and San Diego counties San Diego County has vot-
are Republicans running ed to support the federal
for Congress, said Louis De- lawsuit and last week the
Sipio, a political science small city of Ripon in the
professor at the University state's Central Valley did
of California, Irvine. the same.
"The mobilization that could In many cases, meetings
come from introducing im- on the issue have drawn
migration debates into boisterous crowds. Anti-
county political races may illegal immigration activists
be a critical element in a have traveled from city to
year like 2018 when Demo- city to attend, heighten-
crats will likely be more mo- ing tensions with those who
bilized than Republicans," want their communities to
he said. support immigrant-friendly
Immigration has been a policies or stay out of the
hot topic across the coun- fray. In response to the
try since President Donald controversy, some local
Trump campaigned in 2016 governments have taken
on promises of tougher en- the opposite approach.
forcement and a wall on Leaders in Santa Ana, an
the U.S.-Mexico border. It In this April 14, 2017, file photo, protesters rally outside a courthouse where a federal judge heard Orange County city home
has been a lightning rod is- arguments in the first lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump's executive order to withhold to about 330,000 residents,
sue in California far longer. funding from communities that limit cooperation with immigration authorities in San Francisco. voted to support California
The state passed a mea- Associated Press in the lawsuit.q