Trump's Sanctuary State Roundtable

By Douglas V. Gibbs
Author, Speaker, Instructor, Radio Host

Last week the mayor of San Jacinto, Crystal Ruiz, who is a longtime friend of mine, called me and asked for help.  Her city had recently opted out of S.B. 54's Sanctuary Status.  I had consulted with her when the issue came up on the agenda for the city, guiding her when it came to constitutional, legal, and public safety talking points regarding the importance of cities opting out of the law.  I had also been in contact with Andrew Kotyuk separately, and I was pretty confident San Jacinto would join the growing list of cities opting out of the iron-fisted law.  After I talked to Crystal, I wrote up a document full of all of the information I felt she would need.  Afterwards, I turned the document into an article, "S.B. 54 Sanctuary State Opt Out Reasoning," which is simply the information I sent to her regarding the need to opt out of S.B. 54.  So, when she called me last week, I was surprised she needed more help because as far as I understood, the opt-out battle in San Jacinto was over.

This week Murrieta had a bunch of patriots in the audience trying to get that city to consider doing the same, but the spineless members of that City Council continue to run and hide from the issue.  Corona's mayor Karen Spiegel, also a friend of mine (well, in her case, she's closer to my parents), placed opting out on the agenda for tonight, and I am also knee deep in that one, but I will write about it later.

I was one of the early voices in opting out, having written an ordinance for cities way back on January 9, 2018.  I visited a number of cities, and I got the ordinance in the hands of officials in Beaumont, San Jacinto, Hemet, Murrieta, Los Alamitos, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Aliso Viejo, and Escondido at the time.  I revisited those cities, and more cities, in March, in my hopes they would get the tidal wave of opting out in gear.  Now, over 35 cities have opted out of S.B. 54, all but two of them in Southern California.  I feel like a proud parent, in a way, watching all of this unfold.

While on the phone with the Mayor of San Jacinto, last week, when I asked about if her call was regarding San Jacinto's opt-out decision, Crystal said, "No, this is bigger.  I've been invited to the White House to be a part of a round-table discussion with 15 mayors, and President Donald Trump.  I won't be able to take anything with me into the room, so I need help making sure I've got all of this information down in my memory."

We met Saturday Night, after she consulted with my wife regarding the right jacket to wear with her Ivanka Trump dress, and we hammered it all out as her children and husband watched.  We went over constitutional authority, case law, statistics, and general talking points.  In the end, however, I told her that it needed to be her stance, her story, and her way of delivering all of this.

Today, the meeting with President Trump took place, and to be honest, I am very proud of Crystal.  Funny thing, though, as I watched it, I recognized two other people I consider friends in the room with President Trump; Melissa Melendez, my State Assembly Representative, and the Mayor of San Juan Capistrano (or, at least she "was" mayor), Pam Patterson (we first met at my first annual Constitution Association annual dinner meeting a couple years ago).  I've known Crystal and Melissa for many years, and in fact, Melissa was my first endorsement when I ran for Murrieta City Council back in 2010.

After the thing was over, I sent texts to Melissa and Crystal, congratulating them and thanking them for their work.  Pam's getting an email.

Crystal's story is an amazing one.  As she stated in her delivery in the above video, she was once homeless.  Through God's Grace she survived, pulled herself out of it, and now is the Mayor of the City of San Jacinto.  She is the epitome of the American Spirit, and the reality that this is the land of opportunity if you play by the rules, work hard, and have the self-determination to succeed.

President Trump was all ears for each and every one of the people at that table, and commented on all of them.  He's not arrogant like Obama was.  He truly cares about the problem, and recognized the need for them to be heard.  He's also a quick study, and I think today's round-table discussion helped him build upon his already strong resolve regarding this issue.

He understands the problem, and is passionate about this issue.  Everyone had a voice, and he was sure to make sure they felt like they were being heard.  Some of the folks talked about the amicus brief they attached to Jeff Sessions' lawsuit against California.  Some opted out using resolutions, or letters.  Los Alamitos, the first city to start all of this, is a charter city, and wrote an ordinance.

Each and every one of the mayors, sheriff's, county supervisors, and other local officials at the table echoed each other on one thing.  They are all with President Trump, and they desperately need help with dealing with the tyranny coming out of Sacramento.

California cities are desperate, not only because they disagree with the coddling of illegal aliens, and the protection of criminal aliens, but because the law creates a situation that places our communities at great risk.

One of the main complaints about 9/11 was that various agencies were unable to communicate with each other.  They were silos, disallowed from sharing information that, in hindsight, would have helped in the prevention of the terrorist attack against the United States back in 2001.  Public safety is being compromised.  Our communities are at great risk.  Local law enforcement, and even business owners, according to S.B. 54, cannot, by law, coordinate in any way with federal agencies.  In fact, at one point Sacramento threatened to arrest the Sheriff of Orange County we he refused to abide by S.B. 54, and communicated directly with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). His claim?  The U.S. Constitution, in the case of immigration, supersedes State law.

And, he was right.

S.B. 54 not only places our communities at risk by letting criminal aliens back on the street, but severs important lines of communication that places our State in a position of high risk in terms of National Security.  After all, mixed into the population of illegal aliens are persons who have connections to Islamic terrorist groups, drug cartels, violent gangs, and organizations calling for the overthrow of American  jurisdiction over the southwest.  Therefore, not only is S.B. 54 illegal (unconstitutional), but it gives aid and comfort to enemies of the United States, making the supporters of the law traitor guilty of treason against these United States.

The leaders of the various cities in California not only have the obligation to opt out of S.B. 54, they have the duty to.  If they do not, they become accessories to the treason.

As for the cities who have not opted out, yet, most of the stories I hear is that they are fearful that California will sue them, and they are worried about a loss of municipal funds as a result.  In other words, money is more important than principle.  Have they considered all of the federal money they will lose if they don't opt out?  A lawsuit is in place, and constitutionally, there is no doubt in my mind that the Trump administration will defeat California in the court system (and it will, no doubt, work its way all the way up to the United States Supreme Court).

Besides, when the city council members take their oath, it is first to the U.S. Constitution, is it not?  Their allegiance to the State Constitution is secondary.

In short, California is in open rebellion against the rule of law, the U.S. Constitution, and the federal government.  They are practically the Fort Sumpter of this latest civil war.  Funny thing is, the reasoning by the Democrats is the same now regarding the cheap labor of illegals as it was with the cheap labor of slaves.  In both cases they were willing to whatever it takes to protect their money and power, and their desire to keep into place an oppressive system of controlling and maintaining a population of a cheap and underpaid labor force.

As always, the Democrats are using political power to enslave uninformed groups, promising that they have the best of intentions, when in the end it simply adds up to power, money, and using certain groups of people as useful idiots.

The Democrats have not changed.  They are still the same slave-holding, racist, manipulative, deceptive tyrants they were over a hundred and fifty years ago.

And that's why they hate Trump so much.  He's working on dismantling their machine of corruption and power.

Our local gals, Crystal Ruiz, Mayor of San Jacinto, Melissa Melendez, Assemblymember of the 67th District,
and Natasha Johnson, Mayor of Lake Elsinore.

Crystal's allies in Washington D.C. - Proud of all of you.

Crystal Ruiz ready to get to work with President Trump

Crystal Ruiz in the White House

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary