Thread: Newsom pledges to make SF a sanctuary for illegal immigrants

Newsom pledges to make SF a sanctuary for illegal immigrants
Peter Fimrite, Chronicle Staff Writer

Sunday, April 22, 2007

(04-22) 18:56 PDT -- Mayor Gavin Newsom vowed Sunday to maintain San Francisco as a sanctuary for immigrants and do everything he can to discourage federal authorities from conducting immigration raids.

The mayor cannot stop federal authorities from making arrests, Newsom told about 300 mostly Latino members of St. Peter's Church and other religious groups supporting immigrants. But no San Francisco employee will help with immigration enforcement.

"I will not allow any of my department heads or anyone associated with this city to cooperate in any way shape or form with these raids," Newsom declared. "We are a sanctuary city, make no mistake about it."

The Board of Supervisors first declared San Francisco a "sanctuary city" in 1989. The designation, which many U.S. cities across the country took on during the 1980s, has no legal meaning.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have since May 2006 conducted raids across the country, including arrests in San Rafael, Oakland, Richmond, San Pablo, Santa Clara and other cities across the Bay area. Immigration officials have said they were executing arrest warrants for immigrants who had committed crimes or were in the country illegally and had ignored final deportation orders.

In the course of serving deportation warrants, the officials said, other people whom officers suspected of being illegal immigrants were questioned and then arrested. Of at least 65 Marin County residents arrested in March, for example, just five had been ordered deported.

The raids, many of which conducted at private homes before dawn and some of which caught up legal immigrants and even citizens, have created an uproar in the Bay Area. Politicians and community leaders have demanded they end, saying some immigrants parents are now afraid to send their children to school or leave home.

Immigration agents on Friday arrested 13 foreign nationals who were working illegally at Eagle Bag Corp. in Oakland, a packaging manufacturer whose clients include the U.S. military. The arrests there of immigrants suspected of using counterfeit documents to obtain jobs were not related to the recent raids.

San Rafael Mayor Al Boro in March called on California's U.S. senators, Democrats Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, to push the immigration agency to change how it is enforcing immigration law because he believed children were the ones being hurt.

Marches and rallies are planned in coming weeks in Redwood City, San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Sacramento and other cities.

Porfirio Quintano was one of those who pleaded with Newsom, Senator Carole Migden and Assemblyman Mark Leno during Sunday's meeting to do what they can to make San Francisco safe for immigrants.

The 42-year-old immigrant from Honduras said his Richmond home was raided in 2003 by federal immigration agents based on what turned out to be bad information.

"We are victims," said Quintano, adding that his wife and two daughters, then ages 4 and 10, live in fear of another raid, even though they are in the country legally. "They were looking for somebody unrelated to us, but they lined us up against the wall and held us for an hour. It was terrifying, especially for our daughters."

Newsom, Migden and Leno all vowed to work with other cities and legislators to put a stop to what they said was blatant intimidation of immigrants.

"Our action is to stand strong in opposition to these raids... to make sure that we are not contributing in any way, shape or form," Newsom said. "Even legal immigrants are fearful. This just sends a chill to a lot of people. There are a lot of cities that want these raids. That's where the federal government should be spending their time."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... d=rss.news

This Newsome is an ass, the taxpayer of that town reap what they sow, when they can't afford social services for their citizens anymore or their schools start closing because they can't affort to keep them open do not call on the rest of the country for help!

Most the large cities are santuary cities now, we know that.

And like the article states, such declarations don't have any legal merit.

Just a bunch of hot air!

American citizens should remove their children from all schools in San Francisco and refuse to return until all illegals are deported. American taxpayers should not shoulder the burden of illegal trespassers, nor should the American citizen and their children be threatened with the diseases that are known to be coming in from our Southern border.

Take away the money from the leaders and they will start singing a different tune.

Newsome is just like the rest of the traitorous politicians who pander for votes from the illegal immigrants and their supporters.

Ron Dellum of Oakland did the same thing this morning and someone standing beside him called the immigrants CITIZENS. Ron Dellum is a fool. Don't he know that illegal aliens are hurting Blacks hardest by taking jobs from them.

Posted: Wednesday, 25 April 2007 5:20PM

Oakland to Become Sanctuary for Illegal Immigrants


OAKLAND, Calif. (KCBS) -- Oakland city officials have announced they will no longer cooperate with federal officials conducting raids to capture illegal immigrants.

The chief of police, the mayor and city council members gathered this afternoon to announce that Oakland is now a "city of refuge" which means illegal immigrants will find sanctuary in the city.

KCBS reporter Margie Shafer says the city will no longer cooperate with any investigation, detention or arrests of illegal residents.

"This will give us an opportunity to stand in front of our community with absolute unity that in this Oakland, in this place, in this vision, there is no room for intimidation, abuse, manipulation or exploitation," said Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums.

The move follows a series of raids in the city by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

"Within the law, don't cooperate or assist" the federal immigration officials urged City Council President Ignacio de la Fuente. "Especially when in my view, they are attacking our vibrant community, our community of color."

He called the illegal immigrants, CITIZENS

President Ignacio de la Fuente.

Here lies the problem in most of Calif. they are loyal to Mexico and its citizens.

NO more federal money for these cities! PERIOD.

Newsom, Migden and Leno all vowed to work with other cities and legislators to put a stop to what they said was blatant intimidation of immigrants.

And we will work to stop you idiots from destroying our country!

I just wrote to Gov. Schwzneger ( or however ya spell it) and Boosh asking how a mayor can go against federal law and still stay in office

SOSADFORUS wrote:

Here lies the problem in most of Calif. they are loyal to Mexico and its citizens.

This statement is very true. The illegals have been in California for so long and in such great numbers they have become politically empowered. Many of the states politicians are now Latino and those who are not also pander to the illegals in order to garner Latino votes. I fear my state is toast