Mr. Edgar Goes To Washington; Los Alamitos Mayor To Meet Trump

LOS ALAMITOS, CA — It isn't every day that the smallest city in Orange County gains an audience with the President of the United States. Last week, the Los Alamitos City Council received just that honor.

"Los Alamitos was the first Orange County city to take a stance on compliance with SB54," City Manager Bret M. Plumlee said in a recent release.

Mayor Troy Edgar and Mayor Pro Tem Kusumoto have been invited to take part in a discussion regarding California's immigrant sanctuary laws.

A lawsuit filed against Los Alamitos by the ACLU is currently underway. In order to handle legal fees, Edgar created a GoFundMe page to pay for legal costs through donations. Roughly 300 people have contributed over $22,000 since the campaign launched in April.

"We're excited and honored to be invited to the table," Edgar said. 15 elected officials will be present at the meeting, according to Plumlee. Among them, Orange County Supervisor Michelle Steel will also meet to discuss her efforts against California ‘sanctuary’ laws.

Los Alamitos made national headlines when they passed their ordinance to exempt themselves from the state of California's so called "Sanctuary State" law.

After that effort, other councils across the county have made similar moves. On March 27, Supervisor Steel won unanimous support from the Board of Supervisors for a resolution she introduced to condemn the sanctuary laws and take legal action against the State of California. In a released statement, she said:

“I am very honored to be invited by President Trump to join him and other leaders from around California at the White House to discuss these ‘sanctuary’ laws. This is an amazing opportunity and I look forward to our discussion on this important public safety issue,” said Supervisor Michelle Steel.

“It is great to see so many leaders around California choosing to stand up for their constituents, and for the Constitution. The safety of our residents comes first and Senate Bill 54 poses a real threat to our communities.

“These so-called ‘sanctuary’ laws have tied the hands of our Sheriff, restricted law enforcement’s ability to communicate with federal immigration officials about criminal illegal aliens in our jails, and forced them to choose between complying with federal or state law.

“In an effort to protect our community and their families, the Orange County Board of Supervisors has filed a motion for leave to intervene in the case of the United States of America v. State of California.

“We cannot allow Orange County become a sanctuary for criminal illegal immigrants and I am anxious to meet with President Trump, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and other officials to discuss our best options for moving forward.”

Back in Los Alamitos, the first city in Orange County to take a stand, the council held the firm belief that "Federal Government trumps State Government," Plumlee said.

Photo, courtesy GoFundMe

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