Council votes against resolution
Councilmember Hamilton only one to vote in favor
The Porterville City Council Tuesday voted against a resolution of support for the federal lawsuit against the State of California concerning Senate Bill (SB) 54.
Councilmember Monte Reyes, Councilmember Martha Flores, Vice Mayor Brian Ward and Mayor Milt Stowe all voted against the resolution. Only Councilmember Cameron Hamilton voted in favor.
At its meeting on April 17, the city council authorized the scheduled matter on the agenda for its meeting of May 1, to consider a resolution of support for the federal lawsuit against the State of California concerning SB 54. Hamilton prepared a draft resolution for council’s consideration.
SB 54 was approved by the Governor and filed with the Secretary of State on Oct. 5, 2017.
SB 54, also known as the California Values Act, was authored by Kevin de León, the president pro tempore of the California State Senate. The bill, among other things, claims to protect the safety and well being of all Californians by ensuring that state and local resources are not used to fuel mass deportations,
separate families, or terrorize communities. The bill provides safeguards to ensure that police, school, health facilities, courts and the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement remain accessible to Californians from all walks of life and that California’s resources are directed to matters of greatest concern to state and local governments.
Under SB 54, police cannot ask people about their immigration status or participate in federal immigration enforcement actions. Jail officials may transfer inmates to federal immigration authorities only if they have been convicted of certain crimes.
SB 54 became state law in January of this year. The bill has been dubbed the sanctuary bill and has come under fire from President Donald Trump and other government agencies in the state.
The Trump administration on March 6 sued California over its sanctuary policies for undocumented immigrants.
Last month, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted to join the Department of Justice’s lawsuit against California. In February, the Orange County Board of Supervisors voted to join the lawsuit.
The Escondido City Council voted to do the same in early April, while the council in Huntington Beach voted to file its own suit.
Instead of opting to join the lawsuit, Porterville looked at a resolution.
On March 6, 2018, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a legal action against the State of California in the U.S Eastern District Court of California in Sacramento, regarding certain provisions of SB 54, as well as Assembly Bill (AB) 103 and AB 450.
City Manager John Lollis said a number of California agencies have recently adopted resolutions in support of the Federal lawsuit and/or in opposition to SB 54, including Aliso Viejo, Beaumont, Dana Point, Laguna Niguel, Lake Forest, Newport Beach, Ripon, San Juan Capistrano, Orange County, and Shasta County.
About an hour before Porterville’s council meeting began, a press conference called “Protect Our Community” took place outside city hall. During the press conference, community members spoke of the benefits of SB 54 to the immigration community and the consequences that would inevitably arise if it were defeated in court. The press conference was put on by O.L.A. Raza, Inc., the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, and American Friends Service Committee, The Pan Valley Institute.
When the council meeting began, the council chambers was at full capacity. Residents throughout Tulare County spent over two and a half hours taking turns speaking against the resolution of support for the federal lawsuit against the state concerning SB 54.
Porterville resident Josh Sulier was the first of well over 20 speakers to step to the podium.
Sulier said he was angered and disappointed standing before the council.
“I told you last time this was fiscally irresponsible, now this is fiscally stupid because you know better,” Sulier said. “This was morally bankrupt the last time we had this discussion and it is morally bankrupt still. There is no thought involved in this in any way, shape or form.”
Porterville resident John Coffee told the council to ponder the words “In God We Trust,” and to remember them when they took action on the scheduled matter item Tuesday night.
“At least the way I was raised, part of that trust includes feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, caring for the poor, and just as important if not more so, welcoming the stranger in a strange land,” Coffee said.
Porterville resident Lawana Tate said she stands for SB 54 because she stands for the City of Porterville.
“We don’t need division, we need to stand together and be unified,” Tate said. “To do otherwise would put our law enforcement, our residents and our safety at risk.”
Porterville resident Teri Irish reminded the council that when they each took their oath they swore to uphold the constitution of the United States.
“I hope you still do that,” Irish said.
Longtime Porterville resident Raul Pickett said he is really concerned about the resolution and the people that put it up for consideration.
“I know several of you here, I know you personally as people and now I see another side that I find quite objectionable,” Pickett said. “History is going to surface and we are going to have another mass deportation and you are playing right into that strategy, into the hate and the contempt that we have for our own selves because we are all immigrants.”
Woodville resident Leticia Lopez said the California Values Act protects loved ones.
“The California Values Act is protecting our friends, our neighbors, and our community to uphold the values of equality, commitment and compassion,” Lopez said. “We stand with our immigrant community, we stand for family values and we are here as the community of Porterville.”
Porterville resident Benny Corona said the California Values Act is an act of love.
“And I think today [Tuesday], your city showed that it loves its immigrants,” Corona said.
Despite a few rude comments, Hamilton said the discussion was a “great exercise in democracy.”
“Whether I agree with you or you disagree with me, we had a great time tonight,” Hamilton said. “I am proud of Porterville. I think you guys who have come up have done a marvelous job in getting your views across.”
Hamilton said the big issue he has with SB 54 is the fact that it prevents local law enforcement from giving information to federal authorities, especially in the case of Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux.
“If he [Boudreaux] has a felon that is about to get out of prison, but he is wanted by ICE [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement], the State of California says we can’t cooperate with ICE,” Hamilton said, adding that he is concerned not about those following the law, but those who aren’t. “I am concerned about that criminal that is going to be allowed to come right back in our community and is going to harm you. I get the fear that some of you guys have, but where do we draw the line.”
Flores said she has served in many roles throughout her life where looking after the welfare of everyone was the ultimate goal.
“I served as an elected for Sierra View District Hospital, and regardless of who you were it was important to provide healthcare to everyone in the community,” Flores said, putting emphasis on the word everyone.
Reyes said there’s no solid reason why Porterville needs to step out and take action with regard to voting in favor of the resolution.
“There’s already legal opposition to SB 54 that has been initiated by other communities so there is no need to jump on the bandwagon,” Reyes said. “Furthermore, a resolution that supports a lawsuit against our own state is a boomerang that will hurt doubling when it comes back. Put simply, we need to stay in our own lane.”
With regard to immigration issues, Ward said he is a person of both worlds to a certain extent.
“My wife is an immigrant, she is a naturalized citizen,” Ward said. “When we got married, we had to go through the immigration process, we have been in the long line down in Fresno and it is a long, long process.”
In terms of SB 54, Ward said the particular issue at hand is what to do with a violent felon who is in the country illegally.
“I don’t want to send a chilling or fear affect over our immigrant population,” said Ward, who is a school psychologist. “I work with children who are citizens, and there is legitimate fear there.”
Mayor Milt Stowe said he personally believes that the federal law is the dominant law of the land and believes there should be a resolution, but against law breakers.
“But when ICE goes in a home to separate innocent mothers from their families, it is just not right to me, and I can’t support the federal government when they can’t support the American family,” Stowe said. “And, no pun intended, I just don’t have the heart for that.”