Potential San Francisco Showdown Over Immigration

New York Times
By JESSE McKINLEY
November 10, 2009

SAN FRANCISCO — Setting up a potential showdown with the mayor, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors reinstated an ordinance on Tuesday requiring that juvenile offenders who are illegal immigrants be convicted of a crime before they are turned over to the federal immigration authorities.

The ordinance had been passed by the board in October but was quickly vetoed by Mayor Gavin Newsom, who said that it very likely conflicted with federal immigration law. On Tuesday, the board overrode that veto on an 8-to-3 vote.

But the mayor says that he has no intention of abiding by the board’s action and that the current policy of turning over juveniles at the time of their arrest would stay in place.

[b]“This ship cannot sail,â€