2 weeks Ago By Roma Chang
El Cajon is witnessing a political storm as residents have mobilized to recall Councilmember Phil Ortiz, citing allegations of discrimination and potentially endangering immigrants with his policies. The recall effort, spearheaded by a Latino activist group and backed by various residents, crystallized during a City Council meeting yesterday. According to The San Diego Union-Tribune, a notice of intent to recall signed by 74 people was presented.
At the epicenter of the controversy lies Ortiz's support of a resolution that passed in a 3-2 vote earlier this February, and although it professes adherence to California's Senate Bill 54 restrictions on local law enforcement involvement in federal immigration activities, critics claim it aligns with more extreme federal enforcement, which they equate to "Trump-style resolutions." Mairene Branham, president of the Recall Phil Ortiz Committee, charged Ortiz with betrayal, as per The San Diego Union-Tribune, claiming that his allegiance to these policies outstrips his commitment to the community.Ortiz, however, maintains a different stance.
He argues that his resolution seeks to safeguard El Cajon from criminal activities irrespective of immigration status and dismisses the recall proponents as extremists, as he articulated in an email response to the petition before the meeting, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported.Setting the administrative gears in motion, the recall petition's validation process, administered by the city clerk, will confirm the legitimacy of signatures, with the threshold to get a recall on the ballot in El Cajon demanding 15% of the electorate's participation, amounting to at least 8,157 valid signatures, per information available from Times of San Diego. Meanwhile, Ortiz, who was elected in 2024 and whose term is due to expire in December, reminisced about his leadership roots stemming from his immigrant grandparents and his encounters with racism, further reinforced by his comments at the City Council meeting.
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