California’s sanctuary city mayors vow to resist Trump’s orders

California’s “sanctuary city” mayors are vowing to resist President Donald Trump’s effort to make them obey immigration laws, after he signed an executive order Wednesday cutting off federal funds to “jurisdictions that willfully refuse to comply.”

Sanctuary cities and states are those that have offered shelter to illegal aliens by refusing to cooperate with federal officials in enforcing of federal immigration laws — in some cases, even refusing to turn over criminals for deportation proceedings.

President Trump promised on the campaign trail to end sanctuary cities, and Wednesday’s executive order is the first step in carrying out that pledge. It declares: “Sanctuary jurisdictions across the United States willfully violate Federal law in an attempt to shield aliens from removal from the United States. These jurisdictions have caused immeasurable harm to the American people and to the very fabric of our Republic.” The order stipulates that such jurisdictions “… are not eligible to receive Federal grants, except as deemed necessary for law enforcement purposes by the Attorney General or the Secretary.”

That has California’s sanctuary city mayors in a state of panic — and open rebellion against the new Trump administration.

In San Francisco, where Kate Steinle was infamously murdered in broad daylight in July 2015 by an illegal alien and felon with multiple convictions and deportations, Mayor Ed Lee told a press conference on Wednesday: “I am here today to say we are still a sanctuary city.” He added,  “We stand by our sanctuary city because we want everybody to feel safe and utilize the services they deserve, including education and health care. … It is my obligation to keep our city united, keep it strong … crime doesn’t know documentation. Disease doesn’t know documentation.”

Oakland’s Mayor Libby Schaaf echoed Lee, warning that Trump’s order would “destroy trust in government” and complaining that “it’s disrespecting the American tradition of a peaceful transfer of power”.