At a recent El Cajon City Council meeting, numerous residents voiced their concerns over the city’s stance on immigration policies. The council had previously passed a resolution declaring El Cajon as a non-sanctuary city, aligning with federal immigration enforcement efforts. This decision has sparked significant debate within the community.
During the public comment session, residents expressed that the resolution does not reflect the values of El Cajon’s diverse population. Alicia Aguayo, a lifelong resident, stated, “I was born and raised in East County… and these are not our values.” Similarly, Crystal Abrahim emphasized the need to address the broader implications of such policies, noting, “I hate seeing violence being perpetuated, our communities being terrorized.”
In contrast, some community members supported the council’s decision, appreciating the cooperation with federal agencies. One speaker during the meeting thanked the council for “cooperating with all of our law enforcement agencies… and our local police and sheriff.”
The resolution, passed in February, positions El Cajon as the only city in San Diego County to adopt such a measure. Councilmember Gary Kendrick, who opposed the resolution, highlighted the state’s immigrant sanctuary law, Senate Bill 54, stating, “SB 54 was passed in the first Trump administration… and the state won, so it is the law of the land.”
Mayor Bill Wells defended the council’s decision, clarifying that the resolution was a statement of opinion rather than a directive for law enforcement to act against state law. “We’re not asking our police officers to break the law,” Wells said. “What we did was we voiced our opinion that the federal law supersedes the state law. That’s it.”
As the community continues to grapple with this issue, the council has not announced plans to revisit the resolution in upcoming meetings.