(The Epoch Times)—A Southern California mayor sounded an alarm Nov. 25 that complying with federal deportations could violate California’s sanctuary law and put police officers in his city at risk of losing their jobs and their pensions.
Mayor Bill Wells of El Cajon, about 40 miles from the Mexico border in San Diego County, claims the city police face misdemeanor charges in California if they cooperate with federal authorities to deport illegal immigrants.
Although El Cajon is not a sanctuary city, California’s sanctuary law prohibits cooperation with federal immigration officers in most cases.
In a social media post Monday, Wells said his city intends to comply with federal authorities despite the risk, but hopes to get clarification from state Attorney General Rob Bonta before deportations begin.
“No officer should have to choose between doing their duty and jeopardizing their future,” Wells posted. “As mayor of El Cajon, I’m doing everything in my power to protect our officers and stand against these dangerous [state] policies.”
The city’s police chief alerted Wells to the conflict, he said.
“I talked to our chief, who was the one who informed me that the officers themselves were at risk,” Wells told The Epoch Times on Tuesday. “That was a new piece of information for me to have.”
California officers can lose their police certification and job if arrested for a felony or other crime, according to the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training.
Officers can also lose their state pensions if they are convicted of a felony related to their official duties, according to the state’s retirement system.
California lawmakers passed the California Values Act in 2017—also called its Sanctuary State law or Senate Bill 54—that prohibits law enforcement agencies, including school police and security departments, from using resources to investigate, detain, or arrest people for immigration enforcement.
The law bans law enforcement from asking for a person’s immigration status, detaining a person based on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) request, arresting someone based on a civil immigration warrant, and participating in any agreements or programs that deputize police as immigration agents.
It also prohibits law enforcement from participating in border patrol activities, including warrantless searches and using federal immigration agents and interpreters.
The state law allows immigration authorities to interview inmates, but prohibits them from having permanent office space in jails.
When California’s law was enacted, the U.S. Department of Justice filed legal action against the state, former Gov. Jerry Brown, and former Attorney General Xavier Becerra, seeking to stop its enforcement.
“These criminal aliens are subject to removal from the United States under federal immigration law, and SB 54 interferes with federal immigration authorities’ ability to carry out their responsibilities under federal law,” the DOJ claimed in March 2018.
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to grant review of the legal challenge in 2020, allowing two lower-court decisions in favor of California’s sanctuary law to stand.
Wells said he plans to participate in the deportation process in a Nov. 20 social media post.
“With all the talk of sanctuary cities and states, let me make this perfectly clear: El Cajon is NOT a sanctuary city. We will do everything in our power to assist the federal government in removing criminals from this country,” he stated in the post last week.
He reiterated his position Tuesday. Wells, who also founded a Mayors for Safe Cities group in 2017, is hoping to meet with Tom Homan, Trump’s former ICE director and nominated border czar for his incoming administration.
“I’m trying to arrange a meeting with myself and Tom Homan and will be asking for the feds to give us some resources to protect ourselves for complying,” Wells said. “It is my intention to find a way to comply with federal law.”
Homan, who does not require a Senate confirmation before starting his new job, would be in charge of the nation’s borders. He has already made public statements about his policy against sanctuary jurisdictions.
Wells is drafting a letter to send to California’s attorney general for clarification of the law and hopes the City Council will approve of it Dec. 11, he said.
While immigration hasn’t crippled the city, Wells said there are “a lot of people on the streets that we don’t know where they came from.” The city’s schools are also extremely impacted, he added.
Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta’s offices did not return requests for comment Tuesday.
Newsom announced Nov. 7 that he was calling for state lawmakers to convene a special session later this year to protect California laws on immigrant protection, as well as on abortion, the climate, and LGBT issues.
Why the National Debt Is the Looming Threat to Your Retirement Plans
The Hidden Crisis No One Is Talking About
Every day, headlines warn about inflation, market volatility, and global instability—but the greatest looming threat to your retirement might be something far more fundamental: America’s skyrocketing national debt.
You can learn more about how the national debt affects you by reading this 3-minute report titled, “Debt Will Hit $40T in 2026: Prepare Your Retirement Now“.
With debt growing faster than most Americans can possibly fathom, the government’s borrowing habits have reached historic—and dangerous—levels. To cover spending, Washington is making moves with their budget packages, tariffs, and taxes. Is it enough? No. It’s not even close to what would be necessary to stop out-of-control debt, let alone reverse it.
How Debt Erodes Your Nest Egg
There are only so many levers government and the Federal Reserve can pull to try to protect Americans, assuming that’s even a top priority for them. Unfortunately, pulling one level to relive one pressure invariably adds pressure from another direction. This is why prices keep going up even as inflation reportedly slows.
For retirees and pre-retirees, that’s a perfect storm. The dollars you’ve worked hard to save lose value, and your cost of living increases while your investments lag behind.
If you’re relying solely on paper-based assets—stocks, bonds, or mutual funds—you’re essentially tied to the same system that’s creating the problem. It’s a system that was designed to work well in the 20th century, not in today’s world with people living longer and the dollar rapidly losing value.
This is why the 3-minute report, “Debt Will Hit $40T in 2026: Prepare Your Retirement Now,” is so important.
The Precious Metals Hedge
Thousands of Americans are looking for a tangible, time-tested hedge: physical gold and silver.
Unlike paper assets, precious metals aren’t dependent on government policy or the stock market’s mood swings. They’re real, finite resources that have maintained value for thousands of years through wars, recessions, and inflationary periods.
In fact, during times of high inflation and fiscal instability, gold often performs its best—because it’s seen as a store of value when faith in the dollar weakens. This is why prices have skyrocketed this year and are expected by many economists to continue going up in the future.
Take Control with a Gold IRA
One of the most effective ways to protect your retirement from national debt fallout is through a self-directed Gold IRA. This IRS-approved account lets you hold physical gold and silver within your retirement portfolio, giving you:
- Direct ownership of your assets
- A hedge against inflation and dollar decline
- The control to diversify beyond Wall Street
Augusta Precious Metals specializes in helping Americans just like you take this step with confidence. The company has earned a strong reputation for transparency, education, and personalized service—making it one of the most trusted names in the industry.
The Next Step: Secure Your Financial Future
Augusta Precious Metals has helped thousands of Americans with at least $50,000 to invest from their IRAs, 401(K)s, TSPs, and other retirement accounts safeguard their savings through precious metals.
If you’re concerned about what the rising national debt could mean for your future, now is the time to act.
Read this 3-minute report titled, “Debt Will Hit $40T in 2026: Prepare Your Retirement Now“ and learn the simple steps you can take to protect your retirement.
