San Francisco mayoral candidate Angela Alioto is being criticized for announcing her intent to spearhead a ballot measure that would eliminate sanctuary city protections for felons, according to several news reports.
ABC-7 says protestors showed up at her Friday rally, while the San Francisco Chronicle noted several mayoral hopefuls and city officials condemned the move.
"It's not the climate to do it, and I think that it's very irresponsible from a civil rights attorney to even propose something like that," said Jon Jacobo with the Latina Young Democrats of San Francisco during the rally.
"I can't support any candidate who advances the Trumpian myth that our immigrants are murderers, rapists, and child molesters," fellow mayoral contender Mark Leno said Friday after he revoked his endorsement of Alioto as his No. 3 choice for mayor on the city's ranked-choice ballot.
Mayor Mark Farrell said Alioto was off base and "out of touch" with San Francisco values.
"I would say don't attack our community; don't attack our immigrants here in San Francisco; don't buy into the Donald Trump rhetoric" Farrell said. "In San Francisco, we support our immigrant community. We always have and we always will."
Alioto, who authored the original sanctuary city ordinance as a city supervisor, says the subsequent supervisors changed the language.
"The intent of that legislation was never to protect felons, convicted felons," Alioto told ABC-7.
"Why do they want felons? Someone needs to explain to me why they want felons," she added.
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