SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Mike A. Gipson (D-Carson) introduced Assembly Bill 440 today, and released a statement about his bill that will help replenish some of the federal funding that the Trump administration is set to cut for sanctuary cities. This bill will propose a statewide tax that will use the revenues to assist those cities that support the rights of all immigrants to pursue the California dream. Immigrants in California are essential to the growth of the economy and the thriving cosmopolitan culture that makes California great. This tax proposal is necessary to help our thriving cities maintain critical programs and services. The raids on Latino families that have begun in Los Angeles prove the pertinent need for this legislation.
“I stand with the sanctuary cities in California that protect the rights and dignity of all Californians, regardless of their immigration status. Yesterday, raids in Los Angeles by Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) led to more than 100 people being detained. This is a despicable attack on families in my district and families all across California. ICE has unfairly targeted members of the Los Angeles community before, and I stand with them now in the face of this injustice. Unfortunately this is only the beginning of the divisive campaign of family separation that the Trump Administration wishes to inflict on our communities.”
A path towards amnesty is the only moral and politically acceptable solution. The Trump administration has demonized hard-working and committed Californians who deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. His plan to defund sanctuary cities is an attack on every Californian, and will deny and delay vital funding and services to some of the largest economic centers in America. President Trump’s plan is nothing short of ideological warfare on the values of inclusivity and diversity, and this tax will help replenish much needed funds to keep California moving forward. We are endowed by our creator to pursue our future together as Californians, and if that means without the help of the federal government, so be it.”
