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(The Epoch Times)—A Southern California mayor sounded an alarm Nov. 25 that complying with federal deportations could violate California’s sanctuary law and put police officers in his city at risk of losing their jobs and their pensions.
Mayor Bill Wells of El Cajon, about 40 miles from the Mexico border in San Diego County, claims the city police face misdemeanor charges in California if they cooperate with federal authorities to deport illegal immigrants.
Although El Cajon is not a sanctuary city, California’s sanctuary law prohibits cooperation with federal immigration officers in most cases.
In a social media post Monday, Wells said his city intends to comply with federal authorities despite the risk, but hopes to get clarification from state Attorney General Rob Bonta before deportations begin.
“No officer should have to choose between doing their duty and jeopardizing their future,” Wells posted. “As mayor of El Cajon, I’m doing everything in my power to protect our officers and stand against these dangerous [state] policies.”
The city’s police chief alerted Wells to the conflict, he said.
“I talked to our chief, who was the one who informed me that the officers themselves were at risk,” Wells told The Epoch Times on Tuesday. “That was a new piece of information for me to have.”
California officers can lose their police certification and job if arrested for a felony or other crime, according to the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training.
Officers can also lose their state pensions if they are convicted of a felony related to their official duties, according to the state’s retirement system.
California lawmakers passed the California Values Act in 2017—also called its Sanctuary State law or Senate Bill 54—that prohibits law enforcement agencies, including school police and security departments, from using resources to investigate, detain, or arrest people for immigration enforcement.
The law bans law enforcement from asking for a person’s immigration status, detaining a person based on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) request, arresting someone based on a civil immigration warrant, and participating in any agreements or programs that deputize police as immigration agents.
It also prohibits law enforcement from participating in border patrol activities, including warrantless searches and using federal immigration agents and interpreters.
The state law allows immigration authorities to interview inmates, but prohibits them from having permanent office space in jails.
When California’s law was enacted, the U.S. Department of Justice filed legal action against the state, former Gov. Jerry Brown, and former Attorney General Xavier Becerra, seeking to stop its enforcement.
“These criminal aliens are subject to removal from the United States under federal immigration law, and SB 54 interferes with federal immigration authorities’ ability to carry out their responsibilities under federal law,” the DOJ claimed in March 2018.
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to grant review of the legal challenge in 2020, allowing two lower-court decisions in favor of California’s sanctuary law to stand.
Wells said he plans to participate in the deportation process in a Nov. 20 social media post.
“With all the talk of sanctuary cities and states, let me make this perfectly clear: El Cajon is NOT a sanctuary city. We will do everything in our power to assist the federal government in removing criminals from this country,” he stated in the post last week.
He reiterated his position Tuesday. Wells, who also founded a Mayors for Safe Cities group in 2017, is hoping to meet with Tom Homan, Trump’s former ICE director and nominated border czar for his incoming administration.
“I’m trying to arrange a meeting with myself and Tom Homan and will be asking for the feds to give us some resources to protect ourselves for complying,” Wells said. “It is my intention to find a way to comply with federal law.”
Homan, who does not require a Senate confirmation before starting his new job, would be in charge of the nation’s borders. He has already made public statements about his policy against sanctuary jurisdictions.
Wells is drafting a letter to send to California’s attorney general for clarification of the law and hopes the City Council will approve of it Dec. 11, he said.
While immigration hasn’t crippled the city, Wells said there are “a lot of people on the streets that we don’t know where they came from.” The city’s schools are also extremely impacted, he added.
Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta’s offices did not return requests for comment Tuesday.
Newsom announced Nov. 7 that he was calling for state lawmakers to convene a special session later this year to protect California laws on immigrant protection, as well as on abortion, the climate, and LGBT issues.
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by Michael Snyder
(End of the American Dream)—What is causing the extremely loud “booms” that people are hearing in the sky all over the world? We are being told that “skyquakes” are responsible, but scientists have no idea why these “skyquakes” are occurring. In some cases, the “skyquakes” cause such powerful shaking that…
The Biggest Sale on Long-Term Storage Beef EVER
by Sponsored Post
Let’s cut to the chase. Prepper All-Naturals is offering an unprecedented 40% off for it’s “Beef Steak” survival bags with promo code “steak40”. With a 25-year shelf life and a single ingredient (beef, of course), our most popular product is available for a very limited time with the biggest discount…
Seattle Is Ordered to Stop Blocking Illegal Alien Deportations in the Most Hilarious Court Decision Ever
by PJ Media
A federal court has just pooped in the oatmeal of the West Coast, Messed Coast™governors and local election officials suffering from acute cases of Trump Derangement Syndrome who think they can stop illegal alien deportations. And after this hilarious and thorough legal takedown from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals,…
Illegal Alien Terror Suspect Found Dead in Cook County Jail Cell
by Slay News
An Islamic illegal alien has been found dead in his jail cell after being arrested on terrorism charges. According to CWBChicago, 22-year-old Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi was found dead at the Cook County jail in Illinois on Saturday. Abdallahi was arrested on felony terrorism and hate crime charges in October. He…
Trump’s Wild Bunch Is Ready for Action
by Frank Miele
If for no other reason than that it will elicit fear in the hearts of autocracy-phobics, I propose that Donald Trump’s second-term Cabinet be known as “The Wild Bunch.” The name is best known as the title of Sam Peckinpah’s classic 1969 western featuring a colorful cast of aging outlaws…
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by Just The News
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Tuesday said that it has issued two flight restrictions on the area surrounding President-elect Donald Trump’s Bedminster golf club in New Jersey, following questionable drone activity. The drone sightings were first reported on Nov. 18, but have continued into this week, according to Fox…
Ex-FBI Agent Convicted for Stealing From Jan 6 Defendant During Raid
by Trending Politics
A former Houston-based FBI agent has been convicted of stealing valuables and cash while conducting searches. In one instance, the agent stole cash and silver bars from a non-violent January 6 defendant’s home. Nicholas Anthony Williams, 36, was indicted on January 31 in the Southern District of Texas. Williams, who…
Democrats, Media Elite Urge Biden to Pardon Trump’s Alleged ‘Enemies List’
by Breitbart
President Joe Biden should issue preemptive pardons to his political allies and those deemed to be on President-elect Donald Trump’s alleged “enemies list,” Democrats and their media allies believe. Delivering a preemptive pardon indicates an admission of guilt, although Democrats claim a preemptive pardon would only be intended to block…
Fani Willis Forced to Release All Communications With Jack Smith, J6 Committee
by Trending Politics
The Fulton County Superior Court has ruled against District Attorney Fani Willis, ordering her to disclose communications with Special Counsel Jack Smith and the House January 6 Committee. The decision, announced on Tuesday, follows a lawsuit brought by Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog group, which accused Willis of violating Georgia’s…
Lindsey Graham Is the Warmongering NeoCon Leading the Charge to Upend Pete Hegseth
by JD Rucker
Pete Hegseth represents a shift away from the wokeness that has infected the United States military. This is possibly the biggest reason President-Elect Donald Trump tapped him to be the next Secretary of Defense and the vast majority of Republicans on Capitol Hill can support this, at least for the…
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by Nicole Silverio, DCNF
(DCNF)—Fox Business host Charles Payne called out the alleged “huge double standard” of President Joe Biden’s family Tuesday by revealing that his brother, who struggles with a crack addiction, is currently serving a jail sentence. Payne said his brother, who is getting out of jail on Friday, is likely one…
Zelensky Admits Ukraine Can’t Retake All Its Land: ‘We Must Seek Diplomatic Means’
by Breitbart
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky conceded in an interview on Tuesday that Ukraine does not have “enough forces” to restore sovereignty over Russian-occupied Crimea and “must seek diplomatic means” to end the Russian invasion and regain its land. The state-run Ukrinform outlet reported that Zelensky described Crimea – which Russia colonized…
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by Olivia Cook
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by Tyler Durden, Zero Hedge
(Zero Hedge)—As the retail apocalypse that started with Amazon and e-commerce continues, the latest victim is The Container Store. The retail giant could file for bankruptcy as soon as next year, according to the New York Post, who said the retailer is blaming its recent descent on “a weak housing…
Mysterious ‘Car-Sized Drones’ Over New Jersey Prompt FBI Investigation
by Zero Hedge
Several weeks of mysterious drone swarms over the skies of one New Jersey county near the military research and manufacturing facility Picatinny Arsenal have sparked concerns among residents and prompted an FBI investigation. “It’s kind of unsettling,” Mike Walsh, a Morris County resident who has spotted the drones on numerous…
UNESCO’s New Mission: Train Influencers About Combatting Online “Misinformation”
by Reclaim the Net
The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is now incorporating teaching influencers how to “fact check” into its activities. UNESCO claims that influencers have become “primary sources of news and cultural information” around the world – which prompted it to carry out a survey into how these online personalities…
