February 6, 2017
On January 25, President Trump issued two new executive orders to prevent illegal immigration to the United States:
- Executive Order 13767: Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements – Instructs the Secretary of Homeland Security to plan and design a physical wall along the southern border and prepare a Congressional budget to fund its construction. Adds 5,000 border patrol agents to the U.S. Customs & Border Protection payroll. Instructs all executive departments to identify federal aid to Mexico.
- Executive Order 13768: Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States – Withholds federal funding from “sanctuary jurisdictions” or states and cities that limit cooperation with federal immigration officers. Instructs officers to remove any illegal immigrant that poses “a risk to public safety or national security.”
In response, both Republican and Democratic lawmakers from San Diego issued statements in opposition to the executive orders:
“A border wall is a simplistic approach to a complex problem. A border wall will cost billions to build – if it ever does get built – and that will be after millions more tax dollars are spent on eminent domain lawsuits as Americans fight to keep their property from being seized by the federal government…”
“Enforcement of our immigrations laws is a federal responsibility. Compelling local law enforcement to take on immigration means less time for them to focus on their primary responsibility – protecting our communities…”
“I have long been opposed to President Trump’s plan to spend billions of dollars building a border wall that will do nothing to make us more secure or more prosperous… Tens of thousands of jobs in San Diego, and millions around the country, depend on border trade with Mexico… This money would be better spent on modernizing infrastructure and hiring staff at our border crossings to make the screening of cargo and travelers more efficient and secure.”
“Building a wall and stripping funds from sanctuary cities are not effective immigration policies, they are divisive policies. As the leader of the free world, our President must develop humane and fair immigration policies that keep all families safe and united.”
Mayor Kevin Faulconer:
SD already has a border built by the Feds. Crossborder trade creates jobs. Our binational economic & cultural ties have my full support.
— Kevin Faulconer (@Kevin_Faulconer) January 25, 2017
“We’ve made great progress in recent years improving trade and commerce with Mexico and I’d be opposed to anything that would harm binational trade and the creation of local jobs… I’d rather see the federal government spend money on our nation’s aging highways, bridges and other infrastructure.”
Although San Diego County and its cities have never identified themselves as sanctuary jurisdictions, several California cities – including San Francisco and Los Angeles – have. Meanwhile, Sacramento lawmakers continue to advance a bill that would provide statewide sanctuary for immigrants.
“If we have to, we’ll defund,” said President Trump during a Fox News interview on February 5. “We give tremendous amounts of money to California.”
Related articles:
- “Is San Diego a Sanctuary City and What Does That Even Mean?” – Voice of San Diego
- “Trump to Fox News: I may defund California as ‘a weapon’ to fight illegal immigration” – CNBC
- “California Lawmakers Eye Statewide Immigration Sanctuary” – NBC News
- “California and President Trump are going to war with each other” – The Washington Post