The newly elected sheriff of San Francisco has vowed to leave immigration law enforcement in the city to federal authorities.
“Our department is not involved in immigration enforcement,” said Sheriff Paul Miyamoto. “We feel that is a federal matter, and our realm of interest is public safety, and you can’t really have a safe community if the community members are afraid to come to us to report crimes.”
Miyamoto became the first Asian American sheriff in the city’s history after he was elected last year.
As he ran for the city’s top police job, Miyamoto promised to “balance public safety, accountability, rehabilitation, and opportunity for all within our criminal justice system.”
San Francisco, where about 35% of the population is comprised of immigrants, has designated itself a sanctuary city. The state government in California has also declared the entire state a sanctuary for immigrants.
Sanctuary governments have designated themselves as unwilling to cooperate with Immigration Customs Enforcement and other federal law enforcement agencies seeking to find and deport illegal immigrants.
President Trump’s administration has indicated it intends to send tactical units to sanctuary cities to arrest illegal immigrants.
Trump has made cracking down on illegal immigration a rallying point for his political base, drawing accusations of racism and inhumanity from his opponents.
….More and more states want to do this but their governors and leaders don’t have the courage to do so. The politics will soon mandate, however, because people from California, & all over the land, are demanding that Sanctuary Cities be GONE. No illegals, Drugs or Trafficking!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 16, 2019
The president has singled out San Francisco as an example of local Democratic leaders mismanaging city resources and allowing crime to fester.
The homeless situation in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and many other Democrat Party run cities throughout the Nation is a state and local problem, not a federal problem….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2020
San Francisco Mayor London Breed is vowing to protect the city’s immigrant community.
“We’re being targeted on so many levels,” Breed said. “But, the fact is we’re a strong city, we’re a resilient city and we will fight against those attacks and we will protect the people of this city.”
