Opinion and Commentary By Donna Westfall – January 26, 2025

In 1831, the French author, Victor Hugo wrote, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” The sad tale of a stonemason, Quasimodo forced to live in the bell tower of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. He falls in love with the young and beautiful dancer, Esmeralda.

Quasimodo, played by Charles Laughton, is the deformed, half-deaf and pitiable character who’s adopted father becomes obsessed with Esmeralda and ultimately that leads to her death. But before that is played out, Quaimodo brings Esmeralda into the Church and cry’s, “Sanctuary.” The church was considered a haven for those being persecuted. To protect those seeking protection from the law.

For the last four years, Biden’s administration had opened the gates of our borders allowing in all sorts of foreigners. Millions flooded our nation. States proclaimed they were “sanctuary” states and welcomed illegal aliens; providing them with food, shelter and benefits all funded by taxpayers.

Enter President Trump that said while campaigning and after taking office he’s going to stop the invasion. The worst of the worst are already being rounded up and deported. The West Coast of our nation, Washington, Oregon and California, all proclaimed they were sanctuary states.

But something new is on the horizon. Huntington Beach City Council voted to become a non-sanctuary city. I do believe other cities will soon follow their lead. And, when you see Gov. Newsom come hat in hand to greet Pres. Trump and the First Lady on Friday afternoon at LAX, their cordial greeting was probably anything but cordial. If you watched the conference with Mayor Bass with attendance by politicians and first responders from around California, you heard Pres. Trump tell the Mayor to let the people start clearing their property today. She said within the week. Trump made it clear it better happen sooner than that.

Will Pres. Trump attach conditions to any federal aid? I would think so. How in the world can Gov. Newsom spend up to $50 million of taxpayers monies to fight Trump in the courts to save illegal aliens? Pres. Trump has made it clear he wants the homeowners to start clearing and rebuilding as soon as possible. He has promised that permits will be given and red tape will be eliminated. He wants to see people repopulating their areas immediately. It will be gratifying to see changes made to such agencies as FEMA and the California Coastal Commission. Maybe we’ll see a ray of sunshine when both agencies are eliminated. Wouldn’t that be exciting.

The problems with water, power and forest clearance are heading the list of things that better be attended to. I personally don’t think Newsom can survive this newest recall. While we don’t yet have a copy of the recall petition, this is the verbiage being used by the group called Saving California which stated follows:

“The grounds for this recall are as Follows: 

Gavin Newsom’s tenure has been marked by a series of catastrophic failures that directly impact our daily lives,” the notice says. “His gross mismanagement during the Los Angeles County fires, with inadequate resources and delayed responses, left communities devastated. Under his watch, we’ve seen an unbearable rise in the cost of living – from gasoline to electricity to insurance. Crime rates have soared, with policies seemingly more lenient on offenders than on ensuring our safety. Homelessness has become a visible crisis on our streets, reflecting a failure in meaningful action. The drug epidemic rages on, and border issues remain unaddressed, straining our resources further. Despite our high tax contributions, there’s little to show for it; our funds are misallocated to political agendas rather than our pressing needs. This recall is our call for leadership that prioritizes Californians’ safety, affordability, and well-being over political games. It’s time for change.”

Also a petition has been started by an individual called, “Frustrated Californian” calling for Mayor Bass’s resignation with about 200,000 signatures already signed on. I have found no formal recall petition so far.

As far as sanctuary goes, that usually refers to those seeking a safe haven from persecution in their home countries due to race, religion, or political party. I have no idea how many of the millions of illegal aliens are actually seeking sanctuary. But we are learning that the numbers of criminals here in our country that should not be here is distressing. Why?

It’s bad enough that our own citizens are turning to crime because of inflation, drugs and unemployment. Too bad we can’t ship them out to Guatemala. But those US citizens are guaranteed rights under our laws. Illegal aliens are not. Sanctuary cities and states are in for a rude awakening.

Wonder where Gov Newsom and Mayor Bass will go if recalled? Maybe to some other country seeking sanctuary?