EL CAJON, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — The El Cajon City Council is under pressure from some community members to reconsider its stance supporting federal immigration enforcement.
Residents and activists from Activate San Diego Indivisible, Latinos en Accion and Fuerza Hispana held a news conference outside city hall Tuesday afternoon before nearly 30 people flooded the public comment portion to discuss the issue, which was not on the agenda.
“All of the families that I work with are afraid to come out,” said Catholic Charities volunteer, Deb Ferrin. She’s been working with refugees for more than 20 years and pointed to fear the resolution has created in the community.
Back in February, the city council adopted a resolution that says El Cajon will not obstruct federal immigration enforcement. It also said the city will comply with federal law to remove violent criminals, which California Senate Bill 54 already allows.
“As far as I can tell the only motivation for this resolution was to put a spotlight on the mayor and Steve Goble to say, ‘Hey administration, we are the most MAGA city of all the cities in California,’” said Connie Elder of Activate San Diego Indivisible.
Others have raised concerns about the resolutions meaning and how its interpreted.
“This is a conversation that I did have with Councilmember Steve Goble and he was very clear to me that they will go as permitted by law and that is whatever ICE is enforcing,” said President of Latinos en Accion, Mairene Branham.
Meanwhile, the city council doesn’t appear set to repeal.
“We’re following the law,” said Mayor Bill Wells, adding he is not changing his stance despite the pressure. “This is kind of ironic because I think that we’ve actually stopped more ICE enforcement by signaling that we wanted to be cooperative with them than cities like San Diego.”
FOX 5/KUSI reached out to the El Cajon Police Department for comment. A spokesperson issued the following statement: “The El Cajon Police Department does not participate in immigration enforcement. In accordance with SB 54, California law prohibits local law enforcement agencies from engaging in immigration enforcement activities, and we fully comply with that mandate. At the same time, we want to be clear: we do not interfere with federal law enforcement agencies conducting their duties. The safety of our federal partners is a top priority, and we will always respond when needed to ensure they can carry out their responsibilities safely. Our mission remains focused on preventing and responding to crime within El Cajon. We are committed to protecting all members of our community, and ensuring El Cajon remains a safe place for everyone.”
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