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Rep. José Aponte Hernández described as a “rookie idea” a proposal by Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández Rivera that municipalities with Popular Democratic Party (PDP)-led governments become “sanctuary cities” for people with undefined immigration status.
“The Resident Commissioner’s proposal to turn [PDP] municipalities into ‘sanctuaries’ for people who are in Puerto Rico illegally is a political stunt that only aims to get a headline,” the at-large legislator said in a written statement. “What the Resident Commissioner is asking is for mayors to violate federal law, to expose themselves to the administration of President Donald Trump ordering the freezing of federal funds in each of those municipalities, as established by the executive order that will happen.”
“Moreover, the statements of the Resident Commissioner, inciting other people to violate the law, can provoke legal action against him, as well as against the mayors he is pushing to violate the law,” Aponte added. “I have not heard his colleagues with extra-liberal positions pushing anyone to violate the law, as Hernández did with the ‘sanctuary cities’ proposal …”
On Wednesday, Hernández Rivera said “I will call the interim president of the Mayors Association, Juan Carlos García Padilla, to see if they can consider the [sanctuary cities] matter at tomorrow’s [Thursday’s] meeting.”
