Oxnard residents again want to talk about Sanctuary City
By George Miller
Last week, there were at least 40 people at the 2-28-17 Oxnard City Council meeting to advocate declaring Oxnard a “sanctuary city.” This week, far more showed up at the 3-7-17 meeting. We can’t even be sure how many, because two overflow rooms, including a library conference room in the Library and another room across the street, with TV monitors, had to be used to accommodate them. Well over 200 would be a safe estimate. The main council chambers room has a rated capacity of about 125 people.
Pro-sanctuary city advocates displayed signs, complete with hamnmer & sickle, in Oxnard Council chambers and outdoors at the 3-7-17 meeting. Photo: Dan Pinedo/CitizensJournal.us
Again, this item wasn’t on the agenda, but petitioners are attempting to get the City to place it on the 3-21-17 agenda for a vote.
| NAME | DATE | DURATION | AGENDA | MINUTES | VIDEO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City Council Meeting | Mar 7, 2017 | 04h 36m | Agenda | Video |
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Over 40 public speakers were there to speak in favor of Sanctuary City or “Safe City” status. To listen to their descriptions of the two terms, they both seem to mean the same thing. CAUSE, LULAC, Toder Poder and some other organizations were represented. Only four people at the meeting indicated that they were opposed to it.
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Port Hueneme Councilman Jim Hensley supports sanctuary city. Photo: Dan Pinedo
Here are some samples of public opinion …
Lillian Bayle- Class VP Hueneme H.S.- Oxnard is 74% Latino, 8% Asian, 38% immigrants (80,000), estimated 35,000 “undocumented” (illegal aliens). Wants sanctuary city.
Pete Placentia- Supports Ag workerts, we need farmworkers, an economic issue. Only here to work.
Jose Maldonado- Why remove most vulnerable citizens (citizens?). Cost to remove “new Americans” and resulting productivity loss is significant. “Moral cost” of breaking up families. Quoted Thomas Paine purporting to advocate helping “fugitives.”
Pastor Rick Pearson- N. Oxnard United Methodist- Claims Bible supports sanctuary.
Katerina Martinez-of “Justice for All” Ventura march, advocates sanctuary city.
Jake Donaldson- physician with County- heart-wrenching situation, threat of deportation.
Dan Paulus- wants Oxnard sanctuary city,.Current Mayor a “Quasimodo,” Democrats suppor safe city.Latest hostile agenda from the Trump administration.
Rev. Dr. Betty Stapeford- Interfaith clergy. A struggle for Oxnard/Ventura. Local detention center. Declare a safe city.
Dr. Cat Shore-Physician. Justice for all March. |make Oxnard Safe City. Foster system can’t sustain more fragmented families.
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If you feel left out because your comments weren’t included, name spelled wrong, etc., please add them in as reader comments at the bottom of this article.
Some people, such as Leo Martinez, were speaking on behalf of the Colectivo Todo Poder al Pueblo group and had the following demands:
- Oxnard Police Department MUST notify the public when Immigration Customs Enforcement is in the city because we are aware that ICE notifies the police when they are in the city to sequester people.
- The churches MUST support families affected by deportation. This includes families whose members were previously deported. Support includes financial support, sanctuary/refuge for people without housing, offering space to have Know Your Rights workshops
- Local business who supported the Day Without an Immigrant boycott are expected and encouraged to support the long-term organizing efforts by providing financial support and/or space to hold people’s gatherings.
- The people (documented or not) MUST continue to organize and prepare in their communities to CREATE the sanctuary spaces that will defend from migra and police abuse. Whether the city passes a sanctuary city resolution or not, only the people can defend the people. We encourage honest forces to join the rapid response network, checkpoint actions, and continue to build on the community self-defense methods with us. There are many ways to get involved!
Martinez added that the City didn’t care about them, that transit and roads with their many potholes, were terrible, the police arrogant, concentrating on such things as bicycle enforcement, while most murders remain unsolved.
Several organizations held a press conference outside City Hall at 5 PM. It seemed more like a rally than a press conference. They collected signatures for a petition advocating that Oxnard become a sanctuary city. We previously published an event announcement here: Sin migrantes, Oxnard no es NADA: El pueblo demanda una ciudad santuaria y solidaria! An English version came out later.
We also got to witness the spectacle of Oxnard Elementary School Board member Dennis O’Leary trying to orchestrate the protesters, while dressed in gaudy sports fan attire.
City Council Members
Council members aren’t supposed to respond to public comments, but some once again dived in.
Council Member Oscar Madrigal, in his only major policy statement in his short tenure, previously came out in favor of a sanctuary declaration.
Mayor Tim Flynn says that Oxnard is already a de facto “safe city.” He did not seem enthusiastic about a formal declaration. He prompted Police Chief Whitney to disclaim immigration enforcement by the police department.
Council member Perello sympathizes with the sanctuary city advocates, but thinks it would be a poor idea to make a declaration.He is worried about a reaction from the federal govt., given Oxnard’s heavy dependency on federal funding. He said he didn’t think that made him a racist, alluding to activists’ tendency to demonize opponents of their positions thusly.
Council Member Bryan MacDonald has previously not favored getting involved in such national policies and believes that the police stance (he is a retired Assistant Police Chief) is as far as the City should venture. He was absent from the 3-7-17 meeting.
Update 3-10-17: We reached Councilman MacDonald today, who is recovering from an illness. He said there are some subtle differences between safe city and sanctuary city. He said Oxnard should not cooperate on civil immigration violations, but should be strong on the need to pursue instances of criminal immigration law and other criminal law violations. He supports Police Chief Whitney’s position that OPD is not in the business of immigration enforcement, which both believe would reduce cooperation by residents with the police. The Counilman further stated that it it is their job to serve the community and its residents, not to serve the federal government, He said there have been massive deportations in the past under all Presidents, for decades. He said that there are provisions in the law for jurisdictions to petition the government to work in partnership to enforce immigration laws “but we’re not interested in that.” MacDonald has a law degree and teaches law. He said he sees little advantage value in a formal safe city declaration and thinks it may be “painting a target on our back.” He pointed out that no matter what the council does, someone will be unhappy. He said that his grandmother was an immigrant from Chihauhua, Mx and his father-in-law was a Cuban political prisoner.
Mayor Pro Tem Carmen Ramirez has been an outspoken sanctuary city advocate. We asked her to comment for this article (now available, below) At the meeting, she somehow related immigration enforcement to “a wave of attacks in the Jewish Community” and her husband’s family fleeing the Nazis. She recited what sounded like Matthew 25:35, but didn’t attribute it to him: “For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home,” using this to justify a sanctuary city.
Statement by Carmen Ramirez- posted 3-10-17 12:08 AM ….
Oxnard is already a safe city.
Federal Immigration law is a complicated. Persons in the US who are non-citizens have rights to due process under the US Constitution and federal law. Immigrants acquire rights by virtue of their relationships to US Citizens, lawful permanent residents, US businesses. Refugees and asylum seekers also have rights guaranteed under international law, which are treaties of the United States and therefore the highest law of the land. Their rights may become stronger with more time accumulated in our country. These rights cannot be assessed in simple black and white terms. Most importantly, enforcement of immigration law is the exclusive province of the federal government. Our police officers have never enforced immigration law and are not trained to do so. Imposition of a requirement to enforce immigration law cannot be required by the law and would be an extremely inappropriate and burdensome on our police agency.
The ONLY task of local law enforcement is to ensure public safety. This is accomplished by building trust with our residents, regardless of their immigration status. Individuals who are victims of crime, witnesses to crime, or anyone in need of assistance from our police officers must have confidence to contact the police without fear. If public perception is that the Oxnard Police Department will now begin to enforce immigration law, which it never has, I am certain that there would be tremendous reluctance to seek help from the police or to cooperate in investigations. This impacts public safety for all of us, regardless of our status.
I am pleased that our Ventura County Law enforcement agencies led by our Oxnard Chief of Police, have spoken unanimously to support continued community policing, which requires trust, and have stated clearly that they will not be enforcing immigration law.
Beyond public safety issues, we must recognize the reality that undocumented people in our community are an integral part of our economy and society. They may be parents and spouses of US citizens; they may be young people brought to the US as children, who have lived their lives only in our country; they have no other country to call home. We have invested in their education so that they can contribute to our mutual future. Many own businesses, are homeowners, are key in agricultural and other industries that depend on their labor. They are our neighbors, friends, co-workers, and relatives.
It is clear that our country is in desperate need of humane and comprehensive immigration reform and not a campaign of fear, terrorizing immigrants and their families in our city.
This is my opinion alone and does not reflect the city’s official policy or that of any other councilperson at this time.
Carmen Ramirez
March 9, 2017
Other Sanctuary City Opponents
Several people went public with their opposition. We heard from more who were too intimidated to do so publicly. Gloria Massey Chinea who is originally from Puerto Rico and her husband Rolando Chinea, a naturalized American Citizen from Cuba, are outspoken sanctuary city opponents. Ms Massey-Chinea sent us the following:
This issue of illegal immigration is not a new issue…. This is an issue that has its own history and it has being a bi-partisan issue. These are issues have been brought to light and set the pace from our presidential predecessor for our presidential successors to implement. This is the time to implement! We must secure our city and continue to provide safety. It’s not a popular idea, but we must be bold in implementing and comply with federal laws.
signed the Secure Fence Act of 2006 (Pub.L. 109–367) into law stating, “This bill will help
protect the American people. This bill will make our borders more secure. It is an important
step toward immigration reform.”[1] The Secure Fence Act of 2006’s goal is to help secure
America’s borders to decrease illegal entry, drug trafficking, and security threats by building
700 miles (1,100 km) of physical barriers along the Mexico-United States border.
Immigration Reform. The President believes that America can simultaneously be a lawful,
economically dynamic, and welcoming society. We must address the problem of illegal
immigration and deliver a system that is secure, productive, orderly, and fair. The President
calls on Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform that will secure our borders,
enhance interior and worksite enforcement, create a temporary worker program, resolve –
without animosity and without amnesty – the status of illegal immigrants already here, and
promote assimilation into our society. All elements of this problem must be addressed together
– or none of them will be solved. The United States Must Secure Its Borders. Border Security
Is The Basic Responsibility Of A Sovereign Nation And An Urgent Requirement Of Our
National Security.
Obama Said THIS About Illegal Immigration? “We all agree on the need to better secure the
border and punish employers who choose to hire illegal immigrants. We are a generous and
welcoming people here in the United States, but those who enter the country illegally and
those who employ them disrespect the rule of law and they are showing disregard for those
who are following the law.” Obama’s Speech at NALEO on Immigration in 2008 “We need
immigration reform that will secure our borders, and punish employers who exploit immigrant labor.”
Rolando Chinea
Personally I migrated from a small island called Puerto Rico USA and Rolando emigrated legally from another small island in the Caribbean called CUBA. As you probably know by our community involvement we both care about our city and our people.
Oxnard Police Chief Scott Whitney speaking on immigration enforcement policy at 3-7-7 Council meeting. Photo: Dan Pinedo/CitizensJournal;.us
3-7-17 Meeting agenda
Oxnard residents discuss pros and cons of Sanctuary City declaration
By George Miller- It wasn’t on the agenda, but about 40 Oxnard residents were at the 2-28-17 Oxnard Council meeting to support that Oxnard should be a “Sanctuary City.” What is A Sanctuary City? It is a jurisdiction that shields residents from law enforcement action to address the presence of illegal aliens. About 18 people spoke in […]
Raids in Ventura County target offenders
George Miller is Publisher of CitizensJournal.us and a “retired” operations management consultant residing in Oxnard
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Illegal immigration costs jobs, decreases incomes of citizens, increases crime. It also invites in terrorists by decreasing or even eliminating proper vetting.
Ive been a resident of Ventura county for nearly 50 years, have seen and experienced threats, violence, heard about the street corners in Oxnard along Oxnard Blvd. and Saviers Rd., in Colonia, as well as other locations in Ventura county, where fake documents, such as birth certificates, passports, Social Security cards (usually bearing real names and numbers of citizens) can be bought for about $200-300, along with stolen guns, often sold out of Illegal aliens’ homes in the community.
These homes seem to be the VERY homes that spawn trouble in our community. The very homes that have frequent calls to police for drug related activities, harboring “runaways”, where people often loiter near by to take jobs from a street corner that normally would go to citizens.
The statement by OPD the our local PD has no training in handling illegal immigration certainly explains much about why the problem has not been addressed locally over many years.
Crime increases with illegal immigration. Healthcare is adversely impacted, as is the health of citizens. The tuberculosis clinic in Oxnard is only a small example. Concerns of our bus drivers and patrons at SCAT, now GCT have been ignored.Clinics which are free to so-called “undocumented immigrants” affect health, dental and vision care of not only low income citizens, yet has lowered the Standard of Care of EVERYONE. Violent crime is far higher amongst undocumented immigrants. The victims go to hospitals, sometimes followed by their perpetrators creating a dangerous environment for hospital staff and patients. Undocumented immigrants are not screened for infectious diseases, while legal immigrants are screened for diseases which may become an epidemic, such as the Swine flu epidemic and vaccine shortage in 2009, that killed people. We have several people here in Ventura county that have continuing, serious health issues as a direct result.
LEGAL immigration takes time, as it should. It took almost 15 years for a parent to become a citizen, AS A REFUGEE. The reason it took nearly 15 years is because he had to learn English, apply to become a citizen, he had to have something to offer the US, had to have the DESIRE to have a SOLE ALLEGIANCE to the United States, the DESIRE to fight for the United States should our nation be threatened, learn the meaning of our Constitution, our Constitution, our history, a DESIRE to fit into AND abide by the laws of the United States. One of those laws, the FIRST LAW these illegal aliens disrespect is coming into the US illegally.
This shows that from the beginning, their intentions are NOT any loyalty to the United States. THEN many protest our laws, openly, and in the streets, fundamentally attempting to change the United States, instead of believing in the United States.
This alone indicates that NOT ONE of these people qualify to become citizens.
There are those so embrazened that they come to the United States, then sue our country, usually frivolous lawsuits that even further disqualify them, excluding them from becoming citizens, and economic warfare against our country.
Some protest and fly flags of their home countries, ANOTHER CLEAR disqualification from their being qualified to become a US citizen.
Unless a person enters LEGALLY AND is, of their own free will, willing and has the desire to become, NOT CHANGE, but to accept and integrate into the United States, is willing and will gladly fight for the United States in war (a condition of acceptance for US citizenship), they need to return to their home country, where they belong.
Additionally, real estate values are adversely affected by illegal immigration. Cultural values have also been adversely affected by illegal immigration.
While I feel for those illegally brought into the United States as children, most, if not all of those who have stayed under the DACA and DAPA programs (both unconstitutional programs illegally put in place) have had MORE than ample time to apply for LEGAL status, for citizenship, which doesn’t cost anything!
Legal “clinics” have set up shop, often request funds from taxpayers, in an effort to change the United States laws. This is an excluding factor for citizenship, often set up by illegal immigrants, and lawsuits filed have had sites set on fundamentally weakening our country, a form of warfare.
Under the Constitution of the United States, the supreme law of our land, our country, those seeking to break down our country are committing treason.
Our officers in law enforcement, weather they be a local police officer, county sheriff, state law enforcement, Highway patrol, federal officers, need to read, reread frequently and own a copy of the US Constitution.
Our city, state and federal employees need to read, reread and own a copy of the US Constitution.
Our elected officials need to ALL read, reread and own a copy of the U.S. Constitution.
Our schools need to, again, teach our kids civics and the U.S. Constitution.
We have far too many who are ignorant of our history, and believe things they are told, having no idea why the scribes of our Constitution wrote into our Constitution the elements in that document.
Those were put in place to protect our rights, rights that were lost elsewhere, to keep our country solvent, a bond that is threadbare by ignorance, mis-education, diversion, spies, infiltration of our population, educational systems, spies and allowing nefarious players to continue to misinform, allow children to get through school uninformed, and if not curtailed, will inevidably end in a war on U.S. soil.
We have the most powerful framework that our country was built upon, our Constitution.
If we aren’t vigilant, open our borders to uncurtailed, unregulated immigration, we risk becoming another failed state.
U.S. citizens need to wake up. We have been lazy far to long, from teaching our kids to those in the highest offices.
If we don’t control immigration, if we don’t enforce our borders, get back to our Constitutional principals, should we not enforce our borders and deport those who don’t belong here, 9/11 and the MANY terrorist attacks we’ve seen (and FAR more we have not) is but a small preview of what’s to come.
Lybia and Syria were weakened. They allowed others to shame them into allowing in foreigners, after changes in their financial states. Ours has been changed, and not in a good way, often by foreign and global influences.
Do we want our cities to look like Allepo, Syria?
I should hope not!
Constitutional law needs to be taught to EVERY officer in EVERY force in the United States! If our officers don’t understand the basic principles of our laws, don’t have even basic training in how to deal with people invading our borders who, weather by choice or not adversely affect our country, then how are they to even understand their laws? Understand the powers invested in them?
It’s not any wonder that there’s a divide in some communities between citizens and law enforcement!
Protection starts at the border and ends where civil liberties of citizens start.
Illegal aliens (this is a LEGAL TERM, NOT a term used for emotional fodder, please look it up!) are NOT protected by our Constitution, except where noted IN the Constitution.
EVERY OFFICER needs to take an oath to “Defend, uphold and protect our Constitution, the United States, from enemies, both foreign and domestic.”
Time to get out of the sleepy fog, wake up and take care of business, least those who have been gradually dismantling the United States will succeed.
TRAIN OUR OFFICERS, NOW!
Studies show the 12 million or so illegal aliens cost much more money than they bring in, in taxes. Also, lots of all immigrant money goes back to Mexico and benefits Mexico, not the United States. Also, studies show illegal aliens depress wages and take jobs away from legal citizens, especially younger black Americans.
Furthermore, local and state officials are required to obey and enforce all federal laws. If people, including local and state officials, don’t like the federal laws, then they should lobby the President and Congress to change them instead of disobeying them.
In addition, there are cases where local and state officials have ignored detain orders, not just warrants, from the federal gov’t, and the illegal alien went on to murder or rape someone, or commit a DUI that killed someone, including women and children.
Matthew 25 applies to individuals, not government. We all lock our doors, and many of us have walls, fences and gates to protect us from trespassers, including trespassers who would steal something or hurt someone. Also, the reference to the stranger in that passage doesn’t apply to someone who sneaks into my house without my knowledge and against my wishes. Besides, the United States is such a wealthy and open country that strangers in the land, assuming they are legal immigrants or visitors, have lots of opportunities here to make their own way, at reasonable prices.
We are a nation of laws, and aliens, including legal immigrants, not just illegal immigrants or aliens, have an obligation to obey and follow those laws. Thus, although Exodus 22:21 orders believers not to mistreat or oppress aliens living among them, Leviticus 18:26 says the aliens living among us, including immigrants, must obey God’s laws, including God’s Justice. Our laws are based on God’s laws, and, if government officials are ministers of God who regulate who can come into our country so that we are not invaded by evildoers, then all immigrants, and all local and state officials, should obey those laws. This brings me back to the idea that, if you don’t like the federal immigration laws, then lobby the federal government to change them. I only demand that, whatever changes you want, make sure that the changes don’t mistreat our LEGAL citizens, opr put them in danger!
Perello seems to peg the issue correctly. I have yet to see any local police attempt to enforce Federal Law. What I do see are illegal alien groups proposing that Federal Law not only be ignored, as it has been for decades from both political parties, but to aggressively flaunt the law, tempting the Federal Government to aggressively enforce the Law.
So far, the current administration has only shown they want to remove “criminal” aliens. The objections to this makes you wonder if any of these people are here just for the work.
Sanctuary City will not stop Ice from raiding homes and businesses. Don’t be delusional all it means is The City will not notify and hold Felon Illegal aliens being released. Are you really wanting Hardened criminals released back into your streets to commit crimes again. That’s what you are asking for.
Ice will continue to arrest any and all Illegal aliens and deport you. States, Cities and Counties can not stop that.
Mcgarvey,
I challenge you to give even one example of “ICE Raids” on homes of people who’s crime is limited to entering the United States without permission.
Plenty under Obama and Bush, but not Trump.