SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — It was a narrow victory for immigrant rights advocates in El Cajon as the City Council voted down a resolution from Mayor Bill Wells.
The proposed resolution would have declared the City’s intent to support President Trump’s deportations, running counter to California state laws that limit local government involvement in immigration activity.
The City Council debate over the resolution to support Trump’s deportation policies lasted over five hours.
“Why do I have to carry around my own birth certificate,” said one woman fighting against the idea of local police working with federal agents.
The proposed resolution declared the city’s intent to uphold the federal government’s current immigration stance over California’s state laws. Council members disagreed with the mayor.
“Why do we need a resolution to say we are complying with the law,” said City Councilmember Steve Goble.
The swing vote on the City Council, Steve Goble made the argument that he didn’t want to turn El Cajon into a political lightning rod like Huntington Beach.
Leaders in the immigrant community say after this vote, El Cajon still feels like home.
“I feel protected, I feel secure, I feel like I don’t have to watch myself. I am documented, I’m not undocumented. But I grew up in the 90’s during the Bush era, and at a time I was undocumented. And I still live with that trauma of not feeling safe in my community, not trusting the police, not trusting my officials, because I thought they were working against me and my family,” said Miram Ramirez, immigrant advocate.
