California sheriff blasted for joining Gov. Ron DeSantis’ border ‘coalition’
Immigrant rights advocates are denouncing Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco for signing a letter promoted by Republican presidential hopeful and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis that calls for tighter security on the U.S.-Mexico border.
DeSantis’ gubernatorial office Thursday, June 22, announced a “coalition” of more than 90 sheriffs, including Bianco, “who are united in the struggle to keep our communities safe from the ravages of our collapsed southern border.”
The announcement featured a letter signed by the sheriffs that praised DeSantis for recognizing “how the porous border has had far-reaching impacts and has stepped in to support public safety.”
“We can no longer sit by and watch our nation become overrun by gang activity and drug-related violence, ,” read the letter, which bears the emblems of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department and other departments whose sheriffs were signatories.
“The undersigned Sheriffs join together to partner with Governor DeSantis and the state of Florida to preserve the safety and well-being of the citizens we serve.”
Bianco and Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood were the only California sheriffs to sign the letter.
In a Friday, June 23, news release, the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice slammed Bianco for signing “onto an anti-immigrant task force to further criminalize immigrants and perpetuate the racist legacy of the war on drugs.”
“ … By embracing an anti-immigrant agenda, Sheriff Bianco disregards the countless positive contributions immigrants and refugees make daily and instead perpetuates harmful stereotypes and policies,” the release states.
Javier Hernandez, the coalition’s executive director, urged local leaders and the community to pressure the sheriff to withdraw from the letter.
“In this crucial time, it is imperative that we foster a society that embraces diversity, upholds the rights of all individuals, and promotes justice for everyone,” he said in the release.
“We must challenge and resist policies that seek to marginalize and criminalize immigrants, recognizing that a truly just and inclusive society can only be achieved when we respect and protect the rights and dignity of every person.”
Bianco did not immediately respond Friday to a request for comment.
Since taking office in 2019, Bianco, a Republican, has endeared himself to conservatives with a blunt speaking style, a law-and-order message and a willingness to take on liberals and progressive criminal justice reform.
He’s appeared on Fox News and other conservative media and publicly rebuked California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s COVID-19 business restrictions. In May, Bianco told FOX 11 Los Angeles that he visited the U.S./Mexico border.
“I had my idea of what to expect when I got there and I have to say that it was nothing like I expected,” Bianco told FOX 11. “I felt completely misled going into that because I actually thought it was going to be a lot better than it was.”
Immigration policy and border security is the federal government’s responsibility. The letter doesn’t commit sheriffs to specific actions such as sending deputies to the border.
It’s unclear whether Bianco has endorsed DeSantis, who trails former president Donald Trump in polls in the race for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.