Los Alamitos

Travis Allen launches statewide effort against Sanctuary State policy

March 24, 2018 By CPR Editors 14 Comments

State Assemblyman Travis Allen launched a statewide campaign to encourage other cities to follow Los Alamitos’ decision to uphold Federal Immigration Law and locally fight the illegal Sanctuary State.

“Los Alamitos’ rejection of the Sanctuary State is a major victory for their citizens and the safety of their community,” said Travis Allen. “Our government’s primary purpose is protecting our citizens and I encourage every city in California to also opt out of the illegal Sanctuary State. Under the unconstitutional, dangerous, and illegal Sanctuary State law, the California Democrat Party has put criminals before citizens and endangered all Californians. Now is the time for every city across California to stand up and reject this unconstitutional law and follow Los Alamitos’ leadership for the safety of their residents.”

Members of the Los Alamitos Council, which Allen represents in the State Assembly, voted Monday to opt out of Jerry Brown’s state law that limits cooperation between local police and federal immigration agents. Travis Allen’s statewide effort follows after Allen called on the US Attorney General to sue California over Jerry Brown’s illegal Sanctuary State in the beginning of the year. Allen then called on the US Department of Justice to arrest and prosecute Xavier Becerra for obstruction of justice when Becerra threatened California business owners with prosecution if they cooperated with Federal immigration authorities. Allen is now calling on Federal authorities to prosecute Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf for aiding and abetting criminals when she recently tipped off over 800 illegal criminals which led to over 600 criminals evading arrest, and further as an accessory to a crime after 3 of those criminals have recently reoffended in California. …

“Kate Steinle’s tragic murder in 2015 was a direct result of San Francisco’s Sanctuary City policy,” continued Allen. “Jerry Brown, Gavin Newsom, and the Bay Area liberal elites that control California’s government have now put every Californian in the same danger by sheltering illegal immigrants who are committing crimes in our communities. It’s about time that our local officials step up and follow Federal immigration law on behalf of their residents.”

Last year, Assemblyman Allen introduced AB 1252 which would have defunded Sanctuary Cities. This year he introduced AB 2948 which would reverse California’s dangerous and illegal Sanctuary State law.

As California’s next Governor, Travis Allen has vowed to call a special election to reverse the Sanctuary State in his first 100 days in office.

Allen is encouraging every Californian to sign the petition to tell their local city council to opt out of the illegal Sanctuary State. A link to the petition can be found here.

This article was released by Travis Allen for Governor.

Filed Under: Trending News Tagged With: Immigration, Jerry Brown, Los Alamitos, Sanctuary State, Travis Allen

More California Cities May Defy ‘Sanctuary State’

March 22, 2018 By Joel B. Pollak 2 Comments

More California cities may consider defying the state’s “sanctuary state” laws, after the city council of Los Alamitos passed an ordinance defying the state’s controversial new legislation preventing cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

Leaders of Los Alamitos, in Orange County, passed the ordinance 4-1 and instructed the city attorney to file an amicus brief in the ongoing Department of Justice lawsuit against the State of California. The lawsuit challenges the Immigrant Worker Protection Act (HB 450), the Inspection and Review of Facilities Housing Federal Detainees law (AB 103); and the California Values Act (SB 54).

The Orange County Register reports that other cities — and even Orange County itself — are now thinking of following suit (original links):

The County of Orange and several cities in Southern California soon might join Los Alamitos in its bid to opt out of a controversial state law that limits cooperation with federal immigration officials.

Officials with the county as well as leaders in Aliso Viejo and Buena Park said Tuesday they plan to push for various versions of the anti-sanctuary ordinance approved in Los Alamitos late Monday by a 4-1 vote of that city council.

Immigration advocates said Los Alamitos and cities and counties that follow its opt-out ordinance will be violating state law and at risk of litigation.

But Los Alamitos’ anti-sanctuary push also received wide attention in conservative media, and gained support from those who don’t agree with California’s protective stance on all immigrants, regardless of legal status.

Orange County is a key battleground in 2018, both at the state and federal levels. Democrats are hoping to pick up several U.S. House seats in the county, which voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 — the first time in decades that the traditionally conservative county had backed a Democrat.

But Republicans are backing a recall of State Sen. Josh Newman (D-Fullerton) for voting to raise the gas tax. A ballot initiative to repeal the gas tax hike could also bring Republicans out to vote. And the immigration issue is likely to fuel turnout even more.

Proponents of the Los Alamitos legislation argued that the state was forcing local officials to defy their oath to the Constitution, and that the new ordinance was faithful to the rule of law.

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News. He was named to Forward’s 50 “most influential” Jews in 2017. He is the co-author of How Trump Won: The Inside Story of a Revolution, which is available from Regnery. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.

This article was originally published by Breitbart.com/California

Filed Under: Trending News Tagged With: Immigration, Los Alamitos, Orange County, Sanctuary State

Los Alamitos City Council approves ordinance to opt out of CA’s ‘sanctuary state’ law

March 21, 2018 By Drew Gregory Lynch 7 Comments

The city of Los Alamitos on Monday night approved an ordinance to opt out of California’s controversial “sanctuary state” law, in the boldest act of defiance yet by a municipality against Sacramento.

“It is impossible to comply with both the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California,” a Los Alamitos city agenda report spearheaded by councilman Warren Kusumoto reads. “In this situation, my belief is that the Constitution of the United States has precedence over the Constitution of the State of California.”

Los Alamitos officials voted 4 to 1 to approve the ordinance. However, it will not be officially voted on until April 16.

“We are declaring sanctuary from California’s sanctuary law,” Kusumoto, who introduced the legislation, told Neil Cavuto on Fox News ahead of the vote.

The proposal was met with much controversy, as Monday’s meeting saw a line of residents out the door to try and get in. It was divided between supporters of President Trump and a hardline immigration agenda and others aligned with immigration rights activists, expressing their outrage at the measure.

Dozens took to the podium to address the council in support and opposition against the move.

“Keep the pressure up & urge the Los Alamitos City Council to do the right thing. Call, email, attend meetings, rally – your activism is need now more than ever,” the ACLU of Southern California swiftly tweeted following the evening meeting.

Supporters of the measure argue that the California law is unconstitutional because it subverts federal law in violation of the U.S. Constitution’s supremacy clause.

Now, a small Orange County city of around 12,000 residents finds itself at the center of a larger conversation about immigration policies in not just the Golden State – but across the U.S.

Under Senate Bill 54, passed late last year, local law enforcement is prohibited from inquiring as to a person’s immigration status, detaining suspected illegal immigrants for ICE, and from acting as federal immigration agents.

Conservatives and many law enforcement groups argue that “sanctuaries” provide a safe haven for violent criminal aliens, while liberals and immigration activists argue such jurisdictions encourage undocumented aliens to cooperate with police without fear of deportation.

Earlier this month, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit against California over its defiance of federal immigration enforcement efforts, intensifying the battle between Washington and the state, which has centered itself as the flashpoint in fights over the Trump agenda.

But with its actions on Monday, Los Alamitos appears to be positioning itself as the “resistance” to the “resistance.”

This article was originally published by CalWatchdog.com

Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: Immigration, Los Alamitos, Sanctuary State

City in Orange County Will Vote to Defy California’s ‘Sanctuary State’ Law

March 19, 2018 By Joel B. Pollak 7 Comments

The city council of Los Alamitos, in Orange Country, will vote Monday on whether to defy SB 54, the State of California’s “sanctuary state” law, which passed last year and went into effect January 1.

SB 54, officially known as the “California Values Act,” restricts state and local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement authorities. It is one of three “sanctuary state” laws that is being challenged by the U.S. Department of Justice on constitutional grounds.

According to legal experts, it is the only one of the three laws that has a chance of surviving. However, Los Alamitos is not waiting for the courts to rule.

The Orange County Register notes:

The state law, which took effect Jan. 1, “may be in direct conflict with federal laws and the Constitution of the United States,” reads the proposed local law.

Stating that council members have taken an oath to defend the U.S. Constitution, the ordinance says the council “finds that it is impossible to honor our oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States” and at the same time be in compliance with the new state law.

Supporters of the proposed city ordinance say that the city council members took an oath to defend the Constitution when they assumed their local offices, and that their duty supersedes the state legislature’s effort to resist federal immigration law.

However, critics say that the state law does not conflict with the Constitution.

Orange County has traditionally been a conservative stronghold, but the county was won by Hillary Clinton in 2016, and Democrats hope to build on that showing to unseat several Republicans in the U.S. House this year.

The Los Alamitos ordinance is one of several efforts by conservative regions of the state to chart a different path from the Democrat-dominated state government. The State of Jefferson and the New California movements are both efforts to withdraw from California as its “resistance” to the Trump administration intensifies.

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News. He was named to Forward’s 50 “most influential” Jews in 2017. He is the co-author of How Trump Won: The Inside Story of a Revolution, which is available from Regnery. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.

This article was originally published by Breitbart.com/California

Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: California Values Act, ICE, Los Alamitos, Sanctuary State, SB54