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President Trump’s recent words on Sanctuary Cities “… they protect criminals, they protect murderers, they protect people who you don’t want in the streets…” repeat the rhetoric he used against a large segment of immigrants in his presidential campaign. Some skeptics at that time insisted that immigrants’ reaction of “existential threat” was overblown and unfounded, but was it?
A message I received from a friend last year indicated that the threat had become a reality close to home, in this town which has opted not get involved in the semantics of sanctuary:
Date: 06/06/2017 Question… do you know anything about INS raids in Anaheim… they went to my aunt’s house looking for my step dad….
This was not an isolated situation involving ICE, whose raids nationwide (often unconnected to any underlying crime or danger) continue to raise the level of fear and harassment:
- A large raid took place on a meatpacking plant in Tennessee;
- there have been raids on the 7-Eleven stores nationwide;
- the hotel chain Motel 6 started the practice of giving Latino sounding-names to immigration agents;
- the Greyhound bus company allowing Border Patrols officers to question passengers;
- the death in a car crash speeding away from ICE staff, of farmworking husband and wife, Santos Hilario Garcia (35) and Marcelina Garcia Profecto (33);
- and numerous detentions of immigrant parents taking their children to school.
Meanwhile, North-County Congressional candidate Shawn Nelson justifies his stand on leading the Board of Supervisors to join Jeff Session’s lawsuit against California Sanctuary Cities thus: “It was my idea because we are put in the untenable position where our sheriff deputies are precluded from talking to federal authorities if they know that the authorities want to pick somebody up, because the person is here illegally, is charged with a crime and our people cannot even talk to the federal government unless there are some exemptions that are met, like prior convicted felons….. We had 244 people as of last week released that we couldn’t stop and our people couldn’t tell ICE officials that we believe ICE wanted to speak and likely wanted to do something about…”
The intention of the “Sanctuary State,” as a result of SB 54, the California Values Act, is to “ensure that no state or local resources are diverted to fuel any attempt by the federal government to carry out mass deportations and that our schools, our hospitals, and our courthouses are safe spaces for everyone in our community.” Nelson did acknowledge in the interview above that SB 54 does NOT prevent local authorities from turning prior convicted felons over to immigration authorities. But turning over 244 people to ICE, as Nelson seems to have preferred, sounds a lot like a mass deportation.
As it has been reported, the anti-sanctuary activists in Orange County are mostly a travelling hard-core group tied to the old overzealous anti-immigrant organization, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). See Gabriel’s report here. It is not a surprise that the Trump agenda fits well with this type of organization. What is surprising and disappointing is that Shawn Nelson, calling himself a Proud American, a proven conservative, has taken this anti-immigrant stance.
Another so-called Proud American, the Russia-tainted Costa Mesa Congressman up for re-election who’s long had similar immigration views, has endorsed Nelson for Congress.
But here is a contrary view, from a Revolutionary War hero and the father of our nation’s financial system:
President Trump’s recent words on Sanctuary Cities “… they protect criminals, they protect murderers, they protect people who you don’t want in the streets…”
This is a ‘damn lie.’ California police have discretion to initiate deportation proceedings and cooperate with ICE for 31 types of felonies, including all murderers, rapists. That’s unchanged by the California Values Act.
In Texas, an American citizen husband beat his wife; wife goes to courthouse to get a restraining order, and police arrested her and sent her for deportation (on her husband’s report that she is illegal). That sh!t don’t fly in California.
Don’t know the facts of the Tennessee meatpacking plant – but many employers use the threat of deportation to gouge certain workers (almost always ‘subcontractor’ employees) – cheat them, overwork them, then deport them when they complain or get injured.
Hotel chains want to expel long-term ‘guests’ who do some form of day labor to pay off a bill and have essentially become ‘residents’ there? Call ICE. Landlords do this all the time, instead of fighting an unlawful detainer action.
School has a ‘problem’ child (doesn’t speak English well, doesn’t perform well on standardized tests)? Call ICE – get the family deported, the child effectively ‘expelled’ without any legal risk. Great way for a ‘problem school’ to up its averages on test scores – but lousy sort of education.
The sanctuary law stops these kinds of abuses.
Not only that, but offering limited sanctuary makes it easier for police to acquire assistance from immigrants who would otherwise want to avoid coming to the attention of authorities at all. It makes fighting crime easier, and in some cases even possible at all, which is why many police agencies are perfectly happy with not being forced to cooperate with the feds.
Quite true, but alas, that only applies to police agencies that are not themselves operated or elected by racists – the good cops who want to do their jobs.
Some police want to get the rapists and murderers off the streets; they’ll look for and protect witnesses and victims. Others want to stay in office, and will target whoever the voters that put them there wish for them to target. That’s why we have a Constitution, right?
What strange and mutated form of libertarianism is this?
If it forces him to take stances like this to appeal to racists, the opportunity to run for Congress may be the worst thing that has ever happened to Couldabeena Judge Shawn Nelson.
This sort of ‘libertarianism’ is a degenerate devolution of precisely that sort which Lincoln abhorred: the ‘right’ for one man to enslave another man, into which no third man may intervene.
Just in this case, the victims have different national origins, and instead of threatening the ‘slave’ with the lash, they threaten them with deportation. But not in California: our values do not support such abuse. The folks opposing this law are temporarily seduced by the rhetoric of our own wannabe Stephen Douglases – but there are good people here too.
The mailers sent out by Nelson are all about this issue/preying on fears and although I’ve never liked him, it’s still disappointing to see him stoop to this level.
Given that this sort of Know-Nothingism threatens his access to the Know-Something vote. one wonders what the hell he’s seeing in his polling, but I think that I can guess: He’s the only one of the top candidates, on either side, who can TAKE an anti-immigration position. This the niche left open for him — so, at least in the primary, it makes sense for him to take it. He can back away from it in the runoff.
Check this page for background on the race — https://ballotpedia.org/California%27s_39th_Congressional_District_election_(June_5,_2018_top-two_primary) — and then think about it:
Young Kim, who seems to have been ahead in the polls, is Korean and has some responsibility to her community. (She could try to play a pro-Asian-but-anti-Latino immigration bank shot, but that is so transparent that it’s probably fatal in the runoff even if not the primary — and she doesn’t need the issue anyway. This presumes that she’d even want to do so.)
Bob Huff’s wife Mei-Mei is a leader in the Chinese-(I think Taiwanese-)American community, and she can’t afford to take this position either and likely wouldn’t want to.
What about the next two challengers? Steve Vasquez and Andrew Sarega are both Latino. They could try for a counterintuitive anti-Latino-undocumented position, but they’re probably both better off playing to the Latino community as their base.
You’d literally have to get down to the bottom of the barrel — before you could find another Republican who could take that position. Among NP/3Ps. Alemayhu the American Independent will, but who cares? (Sophia Alexander, the other AIP, is supposedly some sort of left-wing plant, who presumably won’t do this.) Steve Cox, a lefty, won’t do it. I guess that there’s a possibility that Karen Schatzle could do it with finesse, as a purely “law-and-order” pitch “more in regret than anger,” and maybe Nelson’s trying to block her path there. But she doesn’t seem to have the money, even if she has the inclination. (She really chose the wrong race. CA-45, right at home, was her best shot.)
For Nelson, though, this is a bargain with the devil. If he pushes hard enough to activate the racist base, then if he loses he may never hold office again of any kind. If he doesn’t, he may get the downside of having danced with the dragon without benefitting from it. At one point I’d have said that I hope he knows what he’s doing — but if he’s out to rouse rabble then I don’t even care if he does. Ew.
Bob Huff and Young Kim long ago signed on to this movement. It doesn’t matter that they’re Asian or married to an Asian. Everyone understands – their base understands that “anti-illegal-immigrant” is really “anti-Mexican.”
There’s no doubt demagoguery to the Trump sort going on. Nelson has cynically embraced it to get past the primary. In the fall it would be suicide.
Someone should call these creeps out on the worst Trumpisms – like Russia and the moronic border wall.
Fortunately, I live in Correa’s district and wouldn’t be forced to vote for any of the Pugs because the Dem is, well a Dem.
Here’s the Times article I was thinking of: http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-1522296639-htmlstory.html
Orange County ‘sanctuary state’ vote cheered by Republicans in most competitive congressional races
“Former state assemblywoman Young Kim, a Republican also running for Royce’s seat and an immigrant herself, said in a statement shortly before the vote that California’s sanctuary state law is an “affront to law-abiding citizens and a threat to public safety.””
“Bob Huff, a former Republican state senator also running for the seat, said he thinks most 39th District residents oppose the sanctuary state policy, and that the immigration issue could quickly become a liability for Democrats in the 2018 midterm.
““It makes people feel uncomfortable when their own government is aiding and abetting felony fugitives. That’s a problem that cuts across party lines,” Huff said. “We are a country built of immigrants and the 39th Congressional District has a lot of immigrants in it. But most of those that I talk to think that those who want to come here should be coming legally and standing in line they way they did.””
So fuck all three of ’em.
Vern: Alas, Huff is sorta right – “[Sanctuary] makes people feel uncomfortable when their own government is aiding and abetting felony fugitives.”
Since the Sanctuary Law doesn’t do this – which anyone who reads it would recognize in about 30 seconds – the only reason people feel this way is because LYING BASTARDS TOLD THEM SO.
But sadly, a lot more people will hear this lie repeated again and again, hinted at on FoxNews & fellow travelers, then announced by Rep candidates using the system they way they built it. Fox has already injected the equivalent of tens of millions in propaganda into this race, dwarfing every other contribution.
The “when” part of Huff’s quote is a lie. It should be replaced with “when we make them think.” I gather you agree on that.
Greg: The saddest thing about immigration is that many immigrants are as quick as any other nativist to claim, “I got mine, you can’t have yours!”
From my limited experience in immigration courts, the Korean community is less affected than the Vietnamese, Filipino, Chinese, and esp. the Latino communities. Sadly, quite a bit of the abuse I described of immigrants comes from within their own communities – first arrivers who discover the benefits of exploiting newcomers. It’s a tricky, unpredictable mess.
If the runoff comes down to two Republicans, the choice will be between a 90% Trump “moderate” and a 110% Trump “extremist.” We can’t let that happen.
Speaking of 110% Trump extremists (and the minority – it’s a minority – of immigrants who hate newer immigrants) the crazed Inland-Empire activist Raymond Herrera has been screaming out his disappointment in Trump for sending “lawyers” instead of the military to stop the “caravan” of young Central American asylum-seekers now at the border.
Yeah, my experience of Koreans vs. these other groups matches yours. Current immigration is less of a live current issue. But — Kim is also working hard, mostly north of the Puente Hills, for the Taiwanese vote, and among Chinese nationals of all stripes it still is a big issue.
I’ve personally tried to get Cisneros, Thorburn, Jammal, Janowitz, and some of the minor distractions out of the race. (Not Chen, because he was our best shot, and not Tran, because I haven’t spoken to her — although I sure have written about her. DOC, SUSPEND YOUR CAMPAIGN AND ENDORSE SOMEONE!) No one except anti-immigrant, anti-social liberalism, Ted Rusk has dropped out since the filing deadline. They aren’t going to budge. So I think that we not only CAN “let that happen,” but we probably WILL. If we’re saved, it will only be because Republicans like Steve Vargas are diluting the Republicans’ own field as well.
The time to prevent it was both years ago, when the party gave up all pretense of being an “honest broker,” and over the past year, when it decided that trying to commandeer candidates into one good and fair polling operation (to which they would agree to abide) was too much trouble and expense.
Well, there was a third moment that mattered — when Jay Chen, after weeks of hard work and an on-the-nose list of who was voting how, missed out on the CDP endorsement at the local endorsing caucus by one vote. Great work, delegates!
Greg: “and among Chinese nationals of all stripes [immigration] still is a big issue.”
Absolutely, BUT the issue is exceptionally tricky: Chinese nationals with citizenship and small or large businesses see the effect of ‘immigration’ differently than those with aunts, uncles, siblings, and others fighting deportation or overstaying their visas.
Some of them (not all!) may see that they can ‘help’ a Chinese national set up a business – then trigger deportation proceedings and buy that business on the cheap. Some (not all!) see that they can employ a Chinese national with an expired visa, then arrange his deportation quietly if he ever becomes a bad egg.
We need to engage that dynamic directly. Ultimately, doing so simplifies everything immensely if those who veer red are questioned by their own community – “Is this guy really just defending the ability for some guy to exploit/extort/deport people like my uncle?” The problem is nobody asks that question – until after their uncle gets a visit.
Well, I’m volunteering for Cisneros, so I might as well be open about it. Mostly on gut instincts, but I hope my gut is well-informed.
Tran, Jammal, Chen and Janowicz all seem good people – but ultimately, which could really come out ahead in November absent a possible ‘blue wave’? Should that wave pass, where would they be in 2020? The Rep machine in OC is deep, and vast enough to weather one loss.
For Cisneros, a blue wave would help him as much as any other – if it even happens. But so would a ‘brown wave’ (Jammal too…maybe…). Or a ‘union wave,’ or a ‘Reagan Dem’s come home at last’ wave – or a ‘veteran wave.’ Multiple paths for him to win, each of might garner a handful of votes, but every last one is needed to avert Repugnacolypse in 2018, and possibly, to plant seeds that can endure much longer.
As for the negativity…my take is that sometimes, it takes guts to call out others and force them to defend their statements about themselves – on ballots and elsewhere. I happen to know another man who has done precisely that quite recently – some folks might regard him as a meddler, I regard him as a new friend (even if we disagree occasionally).
I’ll have my piece up on how I’ll make my decision in CA-39 later in the week. I won’t turn in my ballot until I’ve solved this one (or it’s the last day, whichever comes first.)
Your new friend prides himself in avoiding irresponsible and baseless attacks. Did Cisneros? Well, wait for my story…..
Sarega is not Latino. He is Romanian. His father immigrated to U.S. from communist Romania before the wall fell in Berlin.
Thanks. I got the opposite impression from him at a forum, but I don’t know if he just allowed the inference or if I made it myself. I do know that others made the same inference, for what that’s worth.
Hi Ricardo.
Hello Anh, thanks for visiting this site. The editors are nice folks: Vern swears once in a while against the bad guys, Ryan chases the really bad guys (including demagogues like Shawn Nelson) and Greg can awe you with his normally in-depth analysis.
Thanks for reading the post; looking forward to your comments.
I can’t say I agree with a lot of things you folks write about on this blog. But one thing I can honestly say is that I truly respect the convictions and dedications you all give to the issues you write about. You not only spew words, but you back them up with actions. This is something I find very admirable.
Like I said, I don’t share the same views with many of the topics on this site, but differing views make great discussions and debates — and I welcome a mature, non profane debate any day. Ricardo, I look forward to discussing the homeless issue in detailed with you one day soon.
Thank you for writing this Ricardo! Always looking forward to what you have to say. Deportation… DACA… immigration always hits close to home. I always look forward to your articles.
Thank you Dolores for your support for on this issue.
Chris Norby, the subject of one Vern’s masterpieces, seems to be conflicted rationalizing his support for Nelson:
” @ChrisNorbyCA
Apr 3
Deport criminal aliens, but picking fruit is not a crime.
#ICE #Immigrants #agriculture
@ChrisNorbyCA
Apr 6
More Mexicans are now leaving the US than entering. Trump should claim victory & move on to other issues.
@ChrisNorbyCA
Of 10 candidates for Royce’s seat, OC Supe Shawn Nelson’s the only one actually holding elected office. Good on states’ rights & civil liberties.
#Congress #GOP #RepublicanParty http://ChrisNorby.com
14 Apr 2018″
Thanks @ChrisNorbyCA for your endorsement and support!Shawn Nelson for Congress”
Adding information appealing more conservatives friends to reject Shawn Nelson’s stand:
” Republicans are on the “wrong side” of the immigration debate, Senator John McCain says in a forthcoming memoir that reflects on his more than 30 years in Congress.
In the book McCain implores Republicans to reject conservatives who fear America is being “contaminated by the customs of non-European immigrants”.
“They’re still a small fraction in the Republican Party. But they’re the ones getting all the attention right now. They need to be confronted, not ignored or winked at or quietly dismissed as kooks,” McCain writes. “They need to be confronted before their noxious views spread further and damage for generations the reputation of the Republican Party.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/may/09/john-mccain-republicans-immigration-wrong-side