Huntington Beach declares itself 'non-sanctuary city' amid Trump's mass deportation plans
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. - Huntington Beach has declared itself a "non-sanctuary city" in the wake of Donald Trump's mass deportation plans.
On Tuesday, January 21, the City Council unanimously voted in favor of Huntington Beach Mayor Pat Burns' initiative to give itself a "non-sanctuary" status.
The so-called status aims to offset some of California Governor Gavin Newsom's actions and, in turn, support federal immigration authorities, President Donald Trump and Border Czar Tom Homan. The latest development out of Huntington Beach comes as the Trump Administration begins the early stages of mass deportations across the country.
"This new City policy and Declaration are common sense, supports our law enforcement, and advances public safety throughout the City. What the Governor is doing does not. Neither the Governor nor the State Legislature with the passage of laws may interfere with the City’s voluntary cooperation with federal authorities, nor cause or compel the City to violate federal laws such as Title 8 Section 1324 for the harboring of illegal immigrants," Huntington Beach City Council wrote in a press release on Tuesday.
Huntington Beach's vote comes just weeks after Newsom proposed a "Trump-proof" legal defense fund of up to $25 million for California's justice department. Newsom's introduced the move back in Nov. 2024 to protect California's current policies on reproductive rights, climate change and immigration.
Newsom has since postponed meetings to "Trump-proof" California due to the ongoing wildfires.
Huntington Beach City Attorney Michael Gates accused the state of violating "federal immigration laws" by not complying with federal authorities' plans for mass deportation.
"In California in particular, fighting crime is difficult enough with the relaxed criminal laws and lack of enforcement. The State should get out of the way of local law enforcement, stop handcuffing our police officers and California’s cities, and get back to the business of protecting innocent citizens. Emphatically, the State should not take a position of violating federal immigration laws or encouraging cities to violate federal immigration laws," Gates said in a press release.