TUCSON – On Tuesday, the Pima County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to accept the Operation Stonegarden grant, which funds border security partnership efforts between U.S. Border Patrol and local law enforcement agencies. Supervisors Miller, Christy and Bronson voted for the funding.
Despite many concessions from Sheriff Mark Napier, including banning U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) from the jail, Supervisors Elias and Valadez voted against the funds.
For over a decade the supervisors accepted the funds, however last year a majority rejected the funds as part of the “Resistance Movement” against the Trump administration.
Just prior to the vote, Supervisor Ally Miller, a Republican, noted that she had voted for the funds while the sheriff’s office was controlled by Democrats, Dupnik and Nanos. She questioned why Elias and Valadez would suddenly oppose the funds especially in light of the fact that under the Trump administration the funds can be used to provide humanitarian assistance. They were solely limited to enforcement efforts under the Obama administration.
Last year, in an effort to provide cover for their controversial opposition to the funds, the supervisors created the Community Law Enforcement Partnership Commission. The Commission, comprised of mostly anti-law enforcement advocates including two members who are in the country illegally, have attacked Napier and his deputies in order to provide a rational for rejecting the funds. According to community activist, Richard Hernandez, Valadez has used the Commission to promote a challenger to Napier in the 2020 election.
Elias was short-tempered throughout the meeting. Selective in his intolerance, Elias allowed radical activists to interrupt conservative speakers during the Call to the Audience, and forced a grandmother, whose grandson who had been killed by an illegal alien, out of the boardroom.
Supervisors Miller and Christy were verbally attacked by Brian Sanders. Sanders, who has earned a reputation for stalking Steve Bannon, first gained national attention when he was provoking attendees at a Trump campaign rally at the Tucson Convention Center in 2016.
After the vote, the Pima County Sheriff’s Office released the following message:
Acceptance of this grant will provide valuable funding to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department to enhance law enforcement activities related to transnational crime, human trafficking, and border security. Sheriff Napier remains committed to working with community groups on both sides of the issue to enhance community engagement and provide full transparency. Sheriff Napier welcomes collaborating with the Board of Supervisors to satisfy grant acceptance conditions.