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Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger once said, “The first and highest duty of government is public safety.” He was right.
But less than a decade later, Progressive Democrats in Sacramento passed California's now-infamous “sanctuary state” law, jettisoning public safety for what they saw as a more just and important cause. Ensure that illegal immigrants here do not face deportation if they commit a crime.
Since then, instead of removing illegal immigrant criminals from their communities by releasing them to federal agents and deporting them, law enforcement agencies across the state have been forced to put them back on the streets, where they They reoffend too often, sometimes with devastating consequences.
As the Biden administration ends, deportations will catch up to Trump-era levels in 2024
In 2021, federal immigration authorities attempted to pick up an undocumented immigrant who had already been flagged for deportation when he was arrested for domestic violence after punching the mother of his 3-year-old child. Rather, thanks to these “sanctuary” policies, he was released the next day. He shot her to death in front of her daughter.
Earlier this year, I visited the southern border and spoke with immigration officials who warned of the dangers posed by criminal illegal immigrants. They expressed grave concern about the increasing number of young people crossing the border, some with unknown criminal records in their home countries. But in San Diego, law enforcement is hobbled by these reckless “sanctuary” policies, even as these illegal immigrants continue to commit crimes.
These rules have harmed Californians and will continue to harm them. But now the Democratic-majority San Diego County Board of Supervisors, in their infinite wisdom, has decided to take things a step further.
Current law allows local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration officials in extreme cases such as murder or gang assault, but the committee believed that even that was too harsh on criminals. . Last week, they voted to make San Diego County a “super sanctuary” where local law enforcement cannot cooperate with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement under any circumstances without a federal judge's order.
In a battle for the title of President Trump's most hated person, the committee's three Democrats are focused on ensuring that illegal immigrants are not deported even if they are arrested on charges such as murder, rape, child abuse, and drug sales. I voted for. This means that if, as often happens, the case fails because a witness disappears or chooses not to testify, the illegal immigrants who killed the San Diegans will be held accountable, even if ICE asks for their deportation. It means they will be free to kill again in their communities.
They claim this is in opposition to Trump's policies that allow for the further deportation of criminal illegal immigrants, but in reality it goes a step further. This amounts to full aiding and abetting violent criminals who are in our country illegally and committing heinous and violent crimes in our communities.
And for what purpose? Is it to poke at and antagonize the next president for progressive brownie points? Will I be considered standing up to a supposed boogeyman by defending myself here in the community surrounded by real-life boogeymen?
This is despicable. Our job as elected officials is to protect the people we represent. The families and communities that chose us. It's about looking out for their interests and safety above all else. This is not the case.
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However, there was some hope that San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez announced that he would not comply with the new “supersanctuary” policy, citing his position as an independent elected official whose policies are not set by the county commission. be. I commend her for rejecting this partisan virtue and prioritizing public safety.
Meanwhile, I and other San Diego Republicans are working to find solutions to combat the board's stupidity at the state level.
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We need to go back to the days when elected leaders prioritized serving the best interests of their constituents over engaging in political battles for headlines. Back to a time when politicians prioritized hard work and keeping the public safe, rather than protecting criminals who wanted to unlawfully cause harm here.
Today, I call on the Board of Supervisors to reconsider this new “supersanctuary” policy, and I call on the people of San Diego to speak up and have their voices heard. If you don't want this “super-sanctuary” policy for your community, please call your manager and tell them. Because, as Governor Schwarzenegger said, your safety is their first and highest duty.
