As more cities and counties add their voices to an anti-sanctuary movement, one civil rights group wants to fight back by taking an unusual tack – asking Latinos not to cooperate with law enforcement.
A decades-old activist organization, Hermandad Mexicana on Tuesday announced a statewide campaign of “non-violent, non-cooperation” with all police authorities.
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Nativo Lopez, of the Hermandad Mexicana group in Santa Ana and Los Angeles, announced Tuesday a campaign asking Latinos to not collaborate with local law enforcement until Orange County and cities that have voted against the states sanctuary stance agree to abide by state laws. (Photo by Roxana Kopetman, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Protestors held signs along Katella Avenue in front of Los Alamitos city hall on Monday. A new coalition, Los Alamitos Community United, met outside Los Alamitos City Hall Monday to express its opposition to the City Councils anti-sanctuary move.Photo by Bill Alkofer, contributing photographer)
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Sergio Trujillo, who heads Hermandad Mexicana in Santa Ana, stood with his sign Tuesday outside the chamber where the Orange County Board of Supervisors voted on March 27 to fight California “sanctuary” laws. (Photo by Roxana Kopetman, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Paul Scott cheers a speech during a protest outside Los Alamitos city hall on Monday. A new coalition, Los Alamitos Community United, met outside Los Alamitos City Hall Monday to express its opposition to the City Councils anti-sanctuary move.Photo by Bill Alkofer, contributing photographer)
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Tung Nguyen, 43, of Garden Grove, argues with Harim Uzziel, of Los Angeles, at left, outside the Westminster City Council meeting as they listen to public comments about SB 54, the California Values Act, otherwise known as the California sanctuary state law, in Westminster on Wednesday, April 11, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan/Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Protestors on opposite sides of the issue face-off against each other outside the Los Alamitos council chambers ahead of the expected vote by the Los Alamitos City Council giving final approval for an ordinance that would exempt them from complying with the California Values Act, otherwise known as the states sanctuary law in Los Alamitos on Monday, April 16, 2018. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Protestors on opposite sides of the issue face-off against each with megaphones outside the Los Alamitos council chambers ahead of the expected vote by the Los Alamitos City Council giving final approval for an ordinance that would exempt them from complying with the California Values Act, otherwise known as the states sanctuary law in Los Alamitos on Monday, April 16, 2018. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Hundreds of people pack the Huntington Beach City Council chamber Monday, April 2, to speak for or against a measure to sue California for its sanctuary law. (Photo by Susan Christian Goulding)
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Stella May listens to speakers during the public comment section of the Orange County Board of Supervisors meeting before they voted to join the U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit against the State of Californias sanctuary cities law (SB54) during their meeting in Santa Ana on Tuesday, Mar 27, 2018. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Sen. Kevin de Leon speaks during the Westminster City Council meeting in support of his bill SB 54, the California Values Act, otherwise known as the California sanctuary state law, in Westminster on Wednesday, April 11, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan/Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Sergio Corona joins a small group of sanctuary state supporters as they gather outside the Orange County Board of Supervisors meeting as they prepare to discuss joining a DOJ lawsuit against the state of California in Santa Ana on Tuesday, Mar 27, 2018. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Genevieve Peters, left, from Family America Project, tells sanctuary state supporters that she is not opposed to immigration – she just doesnt want illegal immigration, as the sanctuary supporters hold a sign in front of her while she talks outside the Orange County Board of Supervisors meeting as they prepare to discuss joining a DOJ lawsuit against the state of California in Santa Ana on Tuesday, Mar 27, 2018. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Pro-sanctuary law protestors lock arms in unity outside the Los Alamitos council chambers ahead of the expected vote by the Los Alamitos City Council giving final approval for an ordinance that would exempt them from complying with the California Values Act, otherwise known as the states sanctuary law in Los Alamitos on Monday, April 16, 2018. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Jennifer Harrison, of the group Patriot Movement AZ, was one of dozens of activists opposing Californias sanctuary state status during a Dana Point City Council meeting on Tuesday, April 17, 2018. Many of the groups were from other parts of the state, and other states. The Dana Point city council debated a resolution that would join the countys opposition to SB 54. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
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Dana Point City Council members listen to one of dozens of impassioned public speakers, on both sides of the debate, while they consider adopting a resolution that would support the countys condemnation of SB 54, which establishes California as a sanctuary state, during a council meeting on Tuesday, April 17, 2018. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
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The group – which is not supported by other immigrant organizations on this tactic – says police should not expect cooperation in the form of information, witnesses, court appearances or even the reporting of crimes within Latino communities.
Nativo Lopez, a long-time immigrant-rights advocate and an occasionally controversial figure, said to communities adopting an anti-sanctuary stance: “The public safety of Orange County cannot be preserved without our cooperation. To the degree that our families public safety is endangered, so will yours and that of the general public.”
Other immigrant-rights groups said Tuesday they are not backing Lopez effort.
“We would ask our community to work alongside the police the same way we would ask the police to work with the community,” said Jorge-Mario Cabrera, a spokesman for the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles.
Gloria Saucedo, executive director of a Panorama City immigrant-rights group that formerly carried the Hermandad name, said non-cooperation is a natural consequence of fear, which is increasing because more communities are passing measures against the California Values Act, or SB-54, a new state law to protect unauthorized immigrants.
“We dont have to tell the community. They already know. Thats whats going to happen,” Saucedo said Tuesday, referring to Latino hesitance to have contact with police.
Still, Saucedo does not support a message that encourages people to not report crimes. “Crime would increase if we dont report it,” she said.
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Orange County Undersheriff Don Barnes said in an email that encouraging residents to not cooperate with local law enforcement is “irresponsible and extremely dangerous.”
“Our only interest in collaborating with ICE is within a custody setting to turn over dangerous, convicted criminals to keep them from re-offending in our communities. We will never ask the immigration status of suspects, witnesses, victims of crime, or those who report criminal activity,” Barnes said.
New California laws that took effect Jan. 1 limit (but do not cut off) cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration agents and protect people in the workplace, public schools, libraries and public medical facilities. The Trump administration is suing California over three of these laws, and more than 15 cities and counties, especially in Southern California, are voicing support for that lawsuit with resolutions and various legal actions against the states sanctuary policies.
Lopez described his groups approach as “a radical tactic,” but argued its a needed response to local and county leaders taking actions against the state laws.
The ACLU, meanwhile, is suing the small city of Los Alamitos, which approved an ordinance to exempt itself from state law. And, in the past month, the cities of Santa Ana and San Gabriel have taken pro-sanctuary actions.
Lopez said there is precedence for the Hermandad campaign. In 2001, a similar campaign in Anaheim led to changes that helped end what he said was a practice in the city of jailing unauthorized immigrants for not having drivers licenses and impounding their vehicles.
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