Published: Aug. 20, 2010
Updated: 3:50 p.m.

Laguna Niguel: We are no sanctuary city

By PETER SCHELDEN
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
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LAGUNA NIGUEL – Laguna Niguel wants people to know where it stands on illegal immigration. It doesn't change the way the law is enforced, but Laguna Niguel is sending a clear message by declaring itself a Rule of Law city in a Friday announcement.

The e-mailed announcement follows a Tuesday 4-0 vote from the City Council. Mayor Linda Lindholm was absent on vacation.

PETER SCHELDEN, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER,

Ming, who is running for re-election this year against Lindholm and former Minuteman Project member Mike Fair, said the resolution would change nothing about the way the law is enforced in Laguna Niguel. But he said he wanted people to know Laguna Niguel is no sanctuary city.

"When people are taking sides, I think it's important for people to know what side we're taking," Ming said. "People were asking us, are you siding with the sanctuary cities? And the answer is no."

Several California cities have passed ordinances preventing police from asking if someone is in the country illegally, prompting them to be called sanctuary cities. Los Angeles was the first to do so in 1979 under a mandate known as Special Order 40, which was intended to encourage illegal immigrants to report crimes.

As a rule of law city, Laguna Niguel pledges to work with federal immigration officers and the Orange County Sheriff's Department to "fairly and equally enforce all laws," and specifically those laws that concern illegal immigration, the resolution states.

Although Costa Mesa passed a rule of law resolution in May, Laguna Niguel Councilman Paul Glaab criticized that measure as too open-ended.
Glaab, who seconded the resolution, said he found it "absolutely unbelievable" that other cities have passed sanctuary city laws. He said doing so interferes with federal law enforcement.

Ming also criticized the Costa Mesa law, which was announced by Costa Mesa Mayor Allan Mansoor on Fox News Host Greta Van Susteren's show "On the Record" May 24.

"We saw the Costa Mesa law and didn't like the way it was constructed," Ming said. "We just thought it didn't fit Laguna Niguel."
Ming, the son of two immigrants, added a clause to the resolution in support of legal immigrants.

Glaab said the city will not break any current laws by passing it.
"It's a statement, a declaration, nothing more," he said. "It doesn't mean that we'll be doing anything illegal."

Ming said he does not believe illegal immigrants are more dangerous than legal residents. But he said "illegal immigration does harm to the country as a whole and to the people who are here legally."

In contrast to a similar resolution passed in Orange on June 8 where 37 members of the public spoke, there were no public comments on the Laguna Niguel resolution.

Contact the writer: pschelden@ocregister.com or 949-492-5128

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