Sixty mayors from around the country on Tuesday held press conferences and other events to show their support for immigrants both legal and illegal.
The U.S. Conference of Mayors helped organize the effort dubbed “Cities Day of Immigration Action.” The organization collected the names of the mayors and cities participating in the event and the actions they would be taking, including pledges to:
- Hold an in-person event such as a local press conference, town hall, roundtable or “Know Your Rights” forum
- Pass a city resolution, proclamation, ordinance or other official document commemorating the day
- Send out a press release
- Pen an op-ed
- Amplify your activities via social media using #MayorsStand4All
The mayor of Austin, Texas, Steve Adler, Tweeted an article entitled “Mayors Celebrate Immigrants While Facing ICE’s New ‘Non-Cooperative’ City List” using the hashtag “MayorsStand4All.”
.@routefifty: Mayors Celebrate Immigrants While Facing ICE’s New ‘Non-Cooperative’ City List #MayorsStand4All https://t.co/jkmiQzh5sr
— Mayor Adler (@MayorAdler) March 22, 2017
Breitbart Texas reported that ICE, under the Trump Administration, is now publishing a weekly Declined Detainer Outcome Reports, demonstrating the crimes for which aliens have been accused. The maiden report revealed that sanctuary jurisdictions released 206 criminal aliens from their jails. Texas leads the nation with more than 70 percent of cases. While there were 149 criminal aliens released from Texas jails, 142 were released in Travis County.
One day before the #MayorsStand4All events, Jessica Vaughan with the non-partisan Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) told Breitbart Texas, “The report from DHS is commendable, but also alarming. Now the public can understand exactly who is benefiting from the sanctuary policies–the released criminal aliens.”
Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings used the #MayorsStand4All hashtag to welcome the director of the new “Office of Welcoming Communities and Immigrant Affairs.”
Pleased to welcome Liz Cedillo-Pereira, director of our new Office of Welcoming Communities and Immigrant Affairs. #MayorsStand4All pic.twitter.com/DO2Yv47y0W
— Mike Rawlings (@Mike_Rawlings) March 21, 2017
The Dallas mayor has been outspoken for the rights of Syrian refugees and illegal aliens, and has stood against Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s efforts to stop the flow of refugees into the Lone Star State.
Mayor de Blasio held a press conference outside of the Tweed Courthouse in Manhattan and said absent a court order, he will shut-out ICE agents from the city’s schools. “We will not allow ICE agents to threaten that protection, disrupt classes or take any action that would be detrimental to our students,” de Blasio said, reported Breitbart News. When questioned, the NYC mayor admitted that ICE agents have not gone into the schools but ominously added, “we’re seeing things that we have not seen before and there’s a tremendous amount of fear out there. We have to be ready for anything.”
Our schools will not become part of the president’s deportation machine. #MayorsStand4All pic.twitter.com/RpZUe0ZZ2F
— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) March 21, 2017
The New York Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs issued a letter to students and families the same day stating that ICE agents would not be permitted in the schools. It also declared that the NYC Department of Education (NYC DoE) would not be releasing information about students and would be “expanding Know Your Rights workshops for students, parents and community members.”
City officials in Washington, D.C., Nashville Mayor Megan Barry, and Kansas City Mayor Sly James participated in the Cities’ Day of Immigration Action along with 57 other mayors and cities.
DC joins 59 cities across the US today for Cities' Day of Immigration Action! @usmayors @MayorBowser #MayorsStand4all #SomosWashingtonDC
— Tomás Talamante (@TalamanteDC) March 21, 2017
Mayors across the country are joined together in our support of the New Americans who strengthen our cities and economy. #MayorsStand4All pic.twitter.com/AKrYBs6wKD
— Megan Barry (@MeganCBarry) March 21, 2017
Mayors know first hand the economic and moral imperatives that make it necessary to fix our broken immigration system. #MayorsStand4All pic.twitter.com/R4T6w5gPSc
— Mayor Sly James (@MayorSlyJames) March 21, 2017
Not everyone who used the hashtag “MayorsStand4All” was supportive of the mayors.
This individual may have been noting the recent rape and sodomization of a 14-year-old girl at Rockville High School in Maryland.
#MayorsStand4All is a nifty way of saying "your daughters are less important to us than illegal aliens (aka:future Democrat voters)."
— International House of Bencakes (@Bennettruth) March 22, 2017
Others were clear in their reference to the alleged sexual assault. One of the males charged, 18-year-old Sanchez Milian, had a deportation order pending at the time of the alleged assault. The Guatemalan was allowed to enroll as a freshman, reported Breitbart News. Seventeen-year-old Jose O. Montano, the other student charged, is from El Salvador. Sean Spicer criticized sanctuary jurisdictions saying the tragic crime was why President Trump is so “passionate” about buckling down on illegal immigration. Rockville High School is located in Montgomery County, Maryland, a county that is listed as a sanctuary jurisdiction, according to the Center for Immigration Studies.
Illegal immigrants get more passes in US than Americans & because of this we get horrific crimes like #RockvilleRape sick! #MayorsStand4All
— 🌹 (@TrumpStrong45) March 21, 2017
Still waiting for #MayorsStand4All folks to tell me how many #RockvilleRape cases they are willing to accept for ideology. Pick a number.
— Cassius (@UWRockBuster) March 21, 2017
One of those Tweeting under #MayorsStand4All said it was ironic that the hashtag was trending at the same time as “#rockvillerape” and added, “Mayors should stand for citizens first. PERIOD.”
https://twitter.com/MADDdawg99/status/844326825266479110
Lana Shadwick is a writer and legal analyst for Breitbart Texas. She has served as a prosecutor and associate judge in Texas. Follow her on Twitter @LanaShadwick2.
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