A group of community members in El Cajon attended Tuesday’s City Council meeting and spoke out against a measure that affirmed that El Cajon is not a sanctuary city.
EL CAJON, Calif. — A group of residents gathered ahead of Tuesday’s El Cajon City Council meeting to rally against a resolution that asserted the city’s commitment to comply with the enforcement of federal immigration law.
In February, the city council voted to reaffirm the city’s status as a non-sanctuary city. 27 people in total, including one person who spoke in favor of the resolutions, spoke at Tuesday’s meeting during the public comment period.
“We have, in California, 482 cities. Only 2 cities pass[ed] this resolution. Huntington Beach…and El Cajon. The reason why we pass this resolution in El Cajon is we [are] so divided in our community,” Dr. Sergio Conti, an El Cajon resident, said.
Those opposed to the resolution argue the measure absolves El Cajon’s police officers of punishment if they cooperate with federal immigration authorities, like ICE, as much as State Senate Bill 54 allows.
“We’re here today to talk today to our council members to see about them hopefully repealing their position on SB 54, as we have been working for the last six months here in East County to have them see the cause and effect of what it’s been like,” Mairene Branham, the president of Latinos en Acción, said.
However, Councilman Steve Goble, who supported the measure, told CBS 8 that the council did not decide they should “absolve” anyone.
“I think they’re thinking we’re going to start rounding up everybody. And that’s just not true,” Goble said.
He explained the resolution allows the city to work with federal immigration agencies to the legal extent permissible, and “only for the sole purpose of removing violent criminals” from the community.
“For me, this is about public safety. If you have committed a violent crime, been deported and come back into the U.S. and happen to be found in El Cajon, SB 54 allows us to notify ICE,” Goble said.
SB 54, the California Values Act, prohibits cities from turning anyone over to federal immigration authorities, unless they have been convicted in court of certain felony crimes.
“We will comply with SB 54, we always have,” Goble said.
Councilmember Gary Kendrick, along with Councilmember Michelle Metschel, voted against the resolution. Previously, they said the proposal had created unnecessary division and anxiety in the Latino community.
Tuesday, via email, Councilmember Metschel told CBS 8 she stands by her past statements and said that “this resolution should have never been brought forward.”
Deb Ferrin, a long-time volunteer with Catholic Charities, attended the meeting and rally on Tuesday. She told CBS 8 she’s worked with refugees from Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan and Haiti.
“The Haitians are terrified today, because they are afraid to go outside their house. And even my own Sudanese kids, one of whom is a lawyer now, I have a couple in the medical field, they’re afraid to come to an event like this,” Ferrin said.
Meanwhile, Councilman Goble told CBS 8 he understands the concerns of the residents who spoke out. However, he maintains that the resolution has a narrow purpose to remove “violent criminals” from the city.