(NewsNation) — The mayor of Huntington Beach, California, is defending a new measure declaring his community a “non-sanctuary city” that will defy California Gov. Gavin Newsom by assisting federal immigration authorities.
This week, the Huntington Beach City Council unanimously supported Mayor Pat Burns’ resolution, which was couched as a public safety initiative.
The move came as the Trump Administration began a push to mass deport undocumented immigrants with criminal histories, over the objections of cities and states with sanctuary policies, such as California, where opponents fear broader sweeps that snare law-abiding migrants.
Chicago police reminded they can’t cooperate with deportations
Burns says his city’s stance is “common sense.”
“We’ve all sworn allegiance to not only the state constitution but primarily the U.S. Constitution, to uphold all laws,” the mayor said Friday during an appearance on NewsNation Live. “I was a policeman for 30 years, and I had all kinds of occasions to use and work with other agencies of different levels.”
HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA – JANUARY 21: Huntington Beach Mayor Pat Burns proposed an initiative to declare the city a “non-sanctuary city” during a council meeting in Huntington Beach on Tuesday, January 21, 2025. On the dais near Burns is a bust of Donald Trump. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)
Huntington Beach, a city of nearly 200,000 residents, is located in Orange County, which traditionally has been a stronghold for Republicans. Donald Trump narrowly lost to Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election in Orange County.
Tom Homan, President Trump’s “border czar,” said Thursday that immigration authorities had taken 1,300 into custody, most of them migrants with criminal histories, in several U.S. cities.
He said he hopes local governments with sanctuary policies will realize it’s better to help the Feds by detaining criminal suspects for deportation.
