Arizona illegal immigration crackdown getting support from more California cities

June 22, 2010 | 8:00 am

Several Southern California cities this week are expected to endorse Arizona's crackdown on illegal immigration.

In the Inland Empire, Perris and Lake Elsinore are scheduled to take up the issue Tuesday night. In Orange County, Rancho Santa Margarita's City Council recently backed the Arizona law as well.

All the cities are considering resolutions of support, but the votes would not change policy in those cities.

Costa Mesa generated national headlines last month when it declared itself a "rule-of-law" city that would not serve as a sanctuary for illegal immigrants. The vote was seen as an endorsement of Arizona's crackdown, but experts said it did nothing to specifically change the way the city dealt with illegal immigrants.

Yorba Linda passed a resolution backing the Arizona law as well. Councilman Jim Winder walked out of the meeting when the issue came up, saying it was a waste of time and had nothing to do with city government.

"Maybe some people don't believe we should take any action on it," Hemet Mayor Eric McBride told the Press-Enterprise. "But it's going to affect us as everyday American citizens."

The L.A. City Council and the L.A. County Board of Supervisors have opposed the Arizona law, and the city of Los Angeles voted a boycott of the state.

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