Published: July 15, 2010
Updated: July 16, 2010 7:30 a.m.

Westminster council debates Arizona immigration law

By RYAN MAC
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

WESTMINSTER – The city of Westminster has become the latest center of debate for Arizona's anti-illegal immigration law, SB1070.
City Council members responded to a letter from resident Vaughn Becht requesting that they follow the path of Orange and support the controversial Arizona law.

At last night's meeting, the Westminster City Council discussed a letter asking to the city to support Arizona's anti-illegal immigration law, SB1070. Supporters from both sides spoke at the meeting, in which the council decided to receive and file the letter and possibly discuss the matter at a later date.

The council did not officially support or denounce the law, but voted unanimously Wednesday night to acknowledge the letter and to possibly discuss the matter at a later date.

The city councils of Costa Mesa, Orange and Yorba Linda have all declared their support for the law, which allows Arizona officers to ask for documentation of legal status from individuals they stop for other potential offenses if there is reasonable suspicion. The Rancho Santa Margarita City Council voted Wednesday to back the law.

The Santa Ana City Council condemned the immigration law, voting to send a resolution of opposition to Congress, the White House and Arizona's governor.

Councilman Andy Quach suggested that the council wait until the federal courts ruled on the matter before taking an official vote in support or opposition.

"At this time, my understanding is that the Obama administration has filed a lawsuit against the state of Arizona and this will be continued to be debated in the courts... for many, many months to come," Quach said. "What I would love for Westminster to do is to basically receive and file this form and to sit back and to see what ruling is, because honestly at this point there is not much the council can do."

Mayor Margie Rice agreed that the matter should be settled by the city later. She did, however, talk about her stance on illegal immigration.

"I don't want to get this city into a lawsuit but I do have very strong feelings,'' Rice said. "But I will go with this to wait until we see what comes of the legal problem with the federal government...I think all people have a right to freedom and all people have a right to come into a country legally and I would not want to punish or hurt the people who are here legally."

"I don't like the illegals here either, I would like to see them all run out of the country," she said. "Not just the Hispanics, but all illegals."

Before voting to receive and file the matter, the council listened to several advocates from both sides of the issue.

Barbara Coe, president of the Huntington Beach-based California Coalition for Immigration Reform, spoke in support of the city of Orange and SB1070.

"As we're all aware, all elected officials take an oath of office before God to uphold our Constitutional right to be protected from all invaders, both foreign and domestic," Coe said. "As we are also aware, our cities, our states and our nation are the target of an illegal alien invasion."

Alberto Martinez of Chicanos Unidos expressed opposition, saying he came to the council meeting after hearing that SB1070 would be discussed.
"I think what this SB1070, by Westminster supporting that, it sends the wrong message to the community," he said. "It sends a message that is very mean spirited. It sends a message that is based in politics."

Rice said in a later interview that she didn't have a good feel of where the people of Westminster stood on the issue. She suggested that the issue might best be settled by "allowing the people to vote."

http://www.ocregister.com/news/council- ... izona.html