Mayor: City would ignore legislation if it were to pass (San Fran alert!)

SF Examiner ^ | Apr 7, 2006 9:00 AM

[Uncledave]

SAN FRANCISCO - Mayor Gavin Newsom said Thursday that The City will not comply with any federal legislation that criminalizes efforts to help illegal immigrants.

The mayor also denounced a bipartisan congressional proposal that would beef up border security and allow as many as 12 million illegal immigrants to gain legal status.

Newsom, who has not been afraid to wade into controversial national issues such as gay marriage, appeared with a group of elected officials on the steps of City Hall to support immigrants, “documented as well as undocumented.”Newsom also signed a resolution sponsored by Supervisor Gerardo Sandoval, and passed unanimously by the Board of Supervisors, urging San Francisco law enforcement not to comply with criminal provisions of any new immigration bill.

“San Francisco stands foursquare in strong opposition to the rhetoric coming out of Washington, D.C.,” Newsom said. “If people think we were defiant on the gay marriage issue, they haven’t seen defiance.”

It is not the first time San Francisco has weighed in on the immigration issue. In 1989, the Board of Supervisors made San Francisco a “City of Refuge.” The ordinance forbids city resources from being used to enforce federal immigration laws or to gather or disseminate information regarding the status of residents of The City. The Board of Supervisors passed a resolution reaffirming the ordinance in January.

The bill at issue is H.R. 4437, a House measure that would make it a crime to be in the United States illegally or offer aid to illegal immigrants. It also would enlist military and law enforcement to help stop illegal immigration, require employers to verify the legal status of workers and build new fences along the U.S.-Mexico border. Thursday’s press conference came shortly after a group of bipartisan U.S. senators announced they reached a compromise on their version of immigration legislation, which would not criminalize illegal immigration or assisting illeglal immigrants.

Newsom said he was disappointed with Democratic leaders for agreeing to the compromise and that he supported a more immigrant-friendly bill that was put forward by Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass, which was part of the basis of the compromise legislation.

Newsom and other city officials also derided U.S. House of Representatives bill 4437, which calls for building a 700-mile fence along the U.S.-Mexico border and criminalizing groups that provide aid to illegal immigrants.

“National-origin discrimination is the civil rights issue of our time,” said Rodel Rodis, a member of the City College board and an immigration attorney. “I could go to jail because of helping illegal immigrants.”

[Antoninus]

Deport Gavin Newsome. The man's(?) a national embarrassment.

[EagleUSA]

Aren't there any good people in SF who stand up to this guy?
-----
I am sure there are many good people there...but they are in such a minority in that cesspool, the majority just does not give a crap because this freak runs such a protectionist state for law-breakers, bums, misfits, freaks and criminals.

[HEY4QDEMS]

Any city or state government body that undermines federal law, runs the risk of being taken over.

Unfortunately no one in DC has the stones to take action.

To bad we don't have any more Abe Lincolns in our midst.

[Tuxedo]

Sounds like secession to me.

[kinghorse]

you know what's so ironic. these a-holes are doing exactly the opposite of what liberals a-holes are supposed to do - run to the fed for help. They want a separate nation? So did the people in Selma Alabama in 1960. But they didn't get it because it was against the will of the union. Ditto SF. It don't work that way. Send in the National Guard.

[jazusamo]

I seem to recall that a war was fought on American soil over several disagreements between the North and South. I wonder if Newsom is prepared to go that far if he and his group in San Francisco insist on not following federal law.

[Rakkasan1]

why not. that's what they do for states the refuse fed DUI
rates and speed limits-deny road funding.

I guess Eurofrisco's mayor will then claim to be a 'state's rights' proponent.

[Tzimisce]

...what's Mayor Gavin Newsom going to do when SF is given to Aztlan and suddenly he's out of a job?

[satchmodog9]

Should, won't don't. Sad, but true.

[Firefish]

Get a rope!

[AppyPappy]

“If people think we were defiant on the gay marriage issue, they haven’t seen defiance.”

I wonder what would happen if the citizens of SF became defiant when it came to paying their taxes. Ooooooppps....

[AmusedBystander]

The feds should elimiate all federal dollars to SF

I wonder how many FEMA dollars hizzoner would ask for after the next SF quake?

[churchillbuff]

Newsom said. “If people think we were defiant on the gay marriage issue, they haven’t seen defiance.”

So ... if you're a gay illegal, San Francisco will give you the Key to the City. ?

[Howlin]

Such a sad state of affairs for a beautiful city.

[Lion Den Dan]

The feds should elimiate all federal dollars to SF

Declare Gavin and his sweet cohorts in a state of insurrection and clean up the mess.

[Howlin]

I seem to recall that a war was fought on American soil over several disagreements between the North and South. I wonder if Newsom is prepared to go that far if he and his group in San Francisco insist on not following federal law.

We know one thing: he won't have a battleship for his "navy," will he? :-)

[dagnabbit]

Newsom is just following the lead of George Bush, who similarly, feels no need to enforce federal immigration law.

and which leader has kissed more men?

[jazusamo]

We know one thing: he won't have a battleship for his "navy," will he? :-)

Yes, and that's a good thing. San Franscisco doesn't deserve her. :-)

[Howlin]

I agree 100 percent; when there was a thread about that on this forum, a lot of our old "navy salts" said they'd rather sink her than have her there and used as a "diversity training center."