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础谤辞耻苍诲听听in the region have voted to opt out of the California Values Act (SB 54), statewide legislation that prevents local law enforcement from detaining immigrants based solely on immigration status.听

As recently highlighted by the听, national anti-immigrant hate groups like the听Federation for American Immigration Reform听(FAIR) and its legal arm, the听Immigration Reform Law Institute听(IRLI) have helped orchestrate a campaign to gin up opposition to California鈥檚 pro-immigrant policies.

The southern California anti-sanctuary frenzy has received a lot of attention, mostly due to the racism and bigotry that鈥檚 been听听at city council meetings where the voting has taken place. However, FAIR, IRLI and other anti-immigrant groups across the country have been involved in other legislative and litigation efforts in an attempt to put pressure on and dismantle other sanctuary and 鈥渨elcoming鈥� city policies.

The anti-immigrant movement has enjoyed unprecedented influence under President Donald Trump鈥檚 administration. Groups like FAIR are now witnessing many of their extreme restrictive immigration policy goals being put into action. Former hate group staffers like FAIR鈥檚听Julie Kirchner听and are also now employed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a听longtime ally听to anti-immigrant groups, is听听with sanctuary cities across the country, including California, but continues to face resistance and setbacks. Sessions, however, recently听听that his Department of Justice is more than willing to tear families apart in order to carry out Trump鈥檚 anti-immigrant agenda.

While nativist groups have more allies and influence at the national level than ever before, promoting anti-immigrant measures at the state and local level has been a long-time strategy. On top of significantly limiting immigration to the country, groups like FAIR have been proponents of mass deportations and other 鈥渁ttrition through enforcement鈥� policies. These policies reflect the vision of FAIR鈥檚 founder听John Tanton, who wrote in 1993, "I've come to the point of view that for European-American society and culture to persist requires a European-American majority, and a clear one at that."

Following are some of the other anti-sanctuary efforts FAIR, IRLI, and other anti-immigrant groups have been involved with in other states across the country.听

Tennessee

On April 25, the Tennessee legislature passed House Bill 2315. The bill seeks to further prohibit cities in the state from adopting sanctuary policies, deputize local law enforcement as immigration agents, and encourage residents to report suspected undocumented immigrants to the Department of Justice. Tennessee already passed an anti-sanctuary law in 2009, which questions the necessity of this latest bill. On Monday, Governor Bill Haslam, who had until May 22 to either sign, veto or take no action,听听the bill to pass without his signature.听

HB 2315 passed out of the legislature shortly after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)听raided听a meatpacking plant in East Tennessee and听听nearly 100 immigrants, many of which had children that depended on them.听

FAIR staffers have been involved in drumming up support for anti-sanctuary initiatives in Tennessee. According to听, FAIR鈥檚 State and Local Director Shari Rendall spoke to the Senate State and Local Government Committee, which supported SB 2332, the Senate companion bill to HB 2315. Rendall reportedly told the committee 鈥渟anctuary policies come in all shapes and sizes鈥� and to be wary of some that 鈥渕asquerade as 鈥榳elcoming resolutions.鈥欌��

Aside from being a harsh bill, HB 2315 has been mired in racism. While discussing the anti-sanctuary measure to the House Finance, Ways and Means subcommittee in early April, State Rep. Jay Reedy, one of the co-sponsors,听听the racial slur 鈥渨------鈥� twice in an anecdote about encountering an undocumented Latino migrant worker when he was a kid.听

HB 2315 faced other criticism as well. David Plazas, the opinion engagement editor at听The Tennessean,听听about the bill, claiming, among other things, that it 鈥渞eeks of overreach.鈥� Plazas also warned, 鈥淸e]ncouraging people to make complaints to the Attorney Generals鈥� office carries the risk of promoting vigilantism and racial profiling.鈥� In a听听on May 21, Stephanie Teatro, co-executive director of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, a local immigrant rights听organization that opposed HB 2315, said Haslam听鈥渃aved to the most extreme fringe of the electorate. He chose hate and fear over good governance.鈥�

Iowa

On April 10, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed a bill into law banning sanctuary jurisdictions in the state. Senate Fil 481, like other anti-sanctuary policies, designates local law enforcement to act as immigration agents and serve as a de facto arm of ICE. A section of the law also says state funds can be withheld from jurisdictions that do not comply with the new anti-sanctuary policy.听

SF 481 was primarily backed by Iowa chapter of the nativist extremist group听Minutemen Civil Defense Corps听(MCDC). In fact, the Minutemen were one of only two groups to听听of the bill. MCDC is a group mostly known for its vigilantism on the southern border. Many of the group鈥檚 members have a history of听听and extreme rhetoric directed toward immigrants. While a few Minutemen chapters remain active, the group has been in听听since its heyday in the mid-aughts.

FAIR鈥檚 Shari Rendall lauded SF 481鈥檚 passage. In an article published April 5 on FAIR鈥檚 website, Rendall听听to criticism that local law enforcement tasked with carrying out federal immigration laws can sow distrust between immigrant communities and officers.听

She wrote, 鈥渕ost illegal aliens don鈥檛 cooperate with police--even in sanctuary cities--because the vast majority come from countries where law enforcement is either corrupt or serves as a tool of state oppression.鈥�

Local law enforcement was opposed to the bill, however. For example, the Iowa Police Chiefs Association publicly听.听

"This will not help policing at all. It will erode trust and confidence in law enforcement, and we're concerned," Iowa City Police Chief Jody Matherly told lawmakers during a January hearing on the bill at the state capitol.听

Indiana

Anti-immigrant groups have also used litigation tactics to go after 鈥渨elcoming鈥� city initiatives. On May 9, 滨搁尝滨听听its second lawsuit in the state of Indiana against the city of East Chicago. The lawsuit claims that local welcoming ordinances adopted by East Chicago prohibiting local law enforcement from detaining immigrants for ICE is in violation of Indiana's anti-sanctuary law.听

滨搁尝滨听听a similar lawsuit against the city of Gary, Indiana in December of 2017. Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson originally responded with a statement: "We look forward to vigorously defending this lawsuit. This will not dampen our efforts to make Gary an open community."听

Since then, the state of Indiana has听听with the lawsuit as a plaintiff. Meanwhile, Gary hopes to dismiss the case and has听听legal help from Georgetown Law鈥檚 Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection and the Public Rights Project.

A common plaintiff in both of the lawsuits filed by IRLI is longtime, Indiana-based anti-immigrant activist Greg Serbon. Serbon is the state director of the anti-immigrant group听Indiana Federation for Immigration Reform and Enforcement听(IFIRE), which has听听with FAIR over the years and was previously listed as a state contact group for the organization. With help from FAIR, Serbon听听IFIRE in 2004 with Cheree Calabro, another one of the听听in IRLI鈥檚 suit against Gary.听

Oregon

The anti-immigrant hate group听Oregonians for American Immigration Reform听(OFIR) is looking to听overturn听the state鈥檚 sanctuary policy via referendum. OFIR is currently collecting signatures to get 鈥淚nitiative Petition 22 -- Stop Oregon Sanctuaries鈥� on the ballot in November 2018. The group needs to gather 88,184 signatures by July 2018 to qualify for the ballot.听

To date, FAIR has donated over $60,000 to the anti-sanctuary campaign, with the most听听$30,000 coming in February. 滨搁尝滨听听$5,000 to the campaign in October of 2017 and听U.S., Inc., John Tanton鈥檚 umbrella organization,听听$3,000 to the effort in August 2017.

Massachusetts

The anti-immigrant hate group听Center for Immigration Studies听(CIS) is working with state legislators and other public officials to push back against a proposed budget amendment that would make Massachusetts a sanctuary state. State Sen. James Eldridge recently filed S. 1305 to the 2019 fiscal budget, which seeks to prevent local law enforcement from collaborating with ICE and prohibits officers from inquiring about immigration status, among other things. The amendment has received pushback from immigration hardliners in the state.听

State Sen. Ryan Fattman, known for his听听n immigration,听proposed his own amendment that would allow law enforcement to honor ICE detainers and hold immigrants up to 24 hours. On May 17, Fattman held a press conference that听听CIS鈥檚 Jessica Vaughn. During the event, Fattman said he worked with Vaughn on the amendment, saying it was her idea to increase the hold time from 12 to 24 hours. During her remarks at the press event, Vaughn called the widely reported phenomenon known as the 鈥溾�� among undocumented immigrants, a 鈥渕yth.鈥�

Bristol County Sheriff Tom Hodgson also听听at the press conference. Hodgson remains a strident听听to anti-immigrant groups. The sheriff sits on FAIR鈥檚听听and has been a regular participant at events organized by the anti-immigrant group over the years. During the press event, Hodgson called Eldridge鈥檚 amendment 鈥渙utrageous鈥� and 鈥渁nti-citizen.鈥� Last year, Hodgson听听when he offered to send inmates in his correction facility to the border to help construct Trump鈥檚 border wall.

颁补濒颈蹿辞谤苍颈补听

Another band of activists in California are trying to attack the state鈥檚 sanctuary policies via a different route. On April 18, Donald Rosenberg听听a ballot initiative to repeal parts of the California Values Act (SB 54) and the Immigrant Worker Protection Act (AB 450).听

Rosenberg is part of an activist outfit calling themselves the Fight Sanctuary State Movement. The so-called movement is mainly comprised of four individuals. The outfit鈥檚 main spokesperson is Ben Bergquam, a local conservative activist and radio host. Bergquam was听听with a recent failed attempt to file a referendum that would veto SB 54.听

The other members, Rosenberg, Agnes Gibboney, and Sabine Durden, all had family members who were tragically killed by undocumented immigrants. All three are involved with another activist group,听Advocates for Victims of Illegal Alien Crime听(AVIAC), which is appears to be tied to FAIR. On June 28, 2017, Susan Tully, FAIR鈥檚 national field director,听posted a photo听with Durden on Facebook with the caption: 鈥淲orking with our new group AVIAC.鈥澨�

AVIAC was听听on June 27, 2017, a day before FAIR鈥檚 annual radio and lobbying event 鈥�Hold Their Feet to the Fire鈥� kicked off. Rosenberg was present at FAIR鈥檚 conference,听听with radio shows that were broadcasting from the event.听

Going after sanctuary and welcoming cities is all part of FAIR, IRLI, and other group鈥檚 greater anti-immigrant agenda. As the Trump administration continues its anti-immigrant campaign from the nation鈥檚 capital, these groups are more than willing to do their part at the state and local level.

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