One Huntington Beach City Councilman is asking his colleagues to publicly condemn President Joe Biden for stopping Texas from taking over immigration enforcement, saying the president has “failed in one of his primary duties.”
“These acts are similar to a 17 year old schoolyard bully slapping down an 8 year old little child and letting him/her know that fighting back will only make life worse for him/her,” wrote Councilman Pat Burns in a letter to the council. “We need to stand strong and resolute together as citizens and as governing bodies in respecting the rights of all citizens.”
To read his full statement, click here.
The city’s discussion comes as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is fighting the federal government over what his role in border security should be across multiple lawsuits, arguing the state has the right to set up barbed wire fences and keep people out because federal agencies failed to.
“President Biden is responsible for the federal government’s overreach in its attempt to prohibit Texas from protecting itself,” Burns wrote. “Or has succeeded if the Biden administration’s goal is the destruction of the United States that we respect and love.”
Burns compared the situation to Surf City’s fight with Gov. Gavin Newsom over state housing mandates, including both arguments in the analogy about the slapping of an eight year old child.
[Read: Huntington Beach Reignites Fight Against State Housing Law]
In a separate letter posted online, Councilman Dan Kalmick called Burns’ letter “a distraction and embarrassment” to the city.
“How is taking pot shots at the President and Governor going to help the folks on Rhone Lane, or help get our unhoused neighbors off the streets?” Kalmick wrote. “Mr. Burns – turn off Fox News and OAN and get back to trying to fix the very real issues facing Huntington Beach.”
Tuesday’s expected 6 p.m. discussion comes as Surf City council members have debated which flags to hoist over city hall, what books should be available to children in libraries, voter IDs and a host of other issues that have fueled the national political discourse.
“Performative MAGA politics shouldn’t be on the agenda and personal beliefs on this issue should not be brought to council as a representation of our city,” Kalmick wrote.
In a Monday interview, Burns said Texas is allowed to protect itself from an “invasion” and said it was impacting the whole country, but could not point to any issues caused by undocumented immigrants in Huntington Beach.
“I can’t say I’ve seen a lot of effects of illegal immigration here in Huntington … it’s pretty nominal right now,” Burns said. “I don’t hear any problem with the illegals.”
But he said he expected there were “indirect” impacts to the city and that as time went on the problem would get worse.
“This wave of illegal immigrants that are coming in, it’s costing us all … when they cross that border they’re basically criminals,” Burns said. “All these kids have to go to school, there’s an impact right there. They’re going to come in and live here, some of them have to live a few families to a household, if they move into a neighborhood that would have an impact.”
Noah Biesiada is a Voice of OC reporter and corps member with Report for America, a GroundTruth initiative. Contact him at nbiesiada@voiceofoc.org or on Twitter @NBiesiada.
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