FRESNO, CA (KMJ) – Fresno Mayor Lee Brand says he is not going to get involved with what the state of California chooses to do in fighting President Trump’s executive orders regarding immigration.
“I’ve got to walk a fine line between Sacramento and Washington, D.C. and I want to be respectful of both sides,” said Mayor Brand in a phone interview with KMJ on Wednesday. “But in the end I’ve got to do what’s best for the city of Fresno.”
California has 18 “sanctuary cities”, as defined by the Center for Immigration Studies. Mayor Brand says Fresno is not one of them.
“The practices of ouw police department – both past, current and future – are to go after criminals,” said Mayor Brand. “We don’t seek or detain people for immigration status. And I have an obvious sympathy for people who are here – and I know our ag community uses these people for their farm labor – but I feel it’s time for the Congress to step up and find a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants.”
Mayor Brand said he also feels empathy for the approximately 1500 “non-resident aliens” enrolled at Fresno State who may feel uncertain about their future – but emphasizes again that the City of Fresno does not seek to engage in screening or detaining people based solely on their immigration status. Brand says he is focused on making the city better and improving the lives of every one in Fresno – whether legal or illegal.
