San Diego, CA - The San Diego County Board of Supervisors’ voted today to support the Trump administration’s misguided lawsuit against California policies that strengthen public safety while protecting families from the president’s deportation force.
While the deadline to join the lawsuit against Senate Bill 54 has already passed, the County’s decision to support it sends the wrong message to our diverse, vibrant and welcoming region, state and the nation. The votes follows a week of action by the San Diego Immigrant Rights Consortium and its partners that included meetings with supervisors, an online petition with more than 800 signatures, phone banking, and a social media campaign to urge the County to side with Californians, not Trump.
Lilian Serrano, Chair of the San Diego Immigrant Rights Consortium, issued the following statement:
“The San Diego County Board of Supervisors’ decision to support this cruel and misguided lawsuit is a political stunt at the expense of families and our public safety. It is also an attack on California’s commitment to value and protects all of its residents, no matter where they come from, and treating them with dignity and compassion. Everybody is less safe when immigrants are afraid to call the police and report crimes, which is why local police officers should not act as border agents. That’s why cities like Chula Vista and National City have proudly supported Senate Bill 54 by passing resolutions in support of protecting our communities. Instead, the County has opted to sign on to the Trump administration’s policies of hate. At the end of the day, if ICE or Border Patrol agents want to arrest and deport immigrants, they need to get a warrant, just like all other law enforcement agencies. That’s what the Fourth Amendment says. They should not be coercing local law enforcement to act on their behalf."
About the San Diego Immigrant Rights Consortium The San Diego Immigrant Rights Consortium is a project of Alliance San Diego. Since 2007, community, faith, labor, and legal organizations have come together as the San Diego Immigrant Rights Consortium (SDIRC). Through SDIRC, these organizations are pursuing four common goals: support comprehensive immigration reform; stop the spread of local policies and practices that target and violate the civil and human rights of immigrants; educate immigrants, and educate the public about the important contributions of immigrants. More at:www.immigrantsandiego.org.
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