Los Angeles Times (California)
By John Myers
November 16, 2016
One
of California's fiercest local critics of federal immigration policy
announced his candidacy for Congress on Monday, setting the stage for
what will likely be another
closely watched race in one of the state's most competitive districts.
Sacramento
County Sheriff Scott Jones, who last year criticized President Obama as
"singularly responsible" for lax enforcement of immigration laws, said
he will run as
a Republican candidate against Rep. Ami Bera (D-Elk Grove) in a
district that encompasses much of the suburbs surrounding Sacramento.
"I
have always had a servant's heart, and I'm not done serving," Jones
said at a news conference surrounded by a group of law enforcement and
business leaders.
Jones,
first elected sheriff in 2010, said he intends to run on a platform
that includes economic issues and assistance for veterans and seniors.
But his kickoff event
made clear that immigration and national security, two issues that are
sure to dovetail with 2016's presidential politics, will be the
campaign's centerpiece.
"Our national leaders are driving us ever closer, ever faster to disaster," Jones said.
The
Republican candidate did not endorse any particular changes to the
federal immigration system, nor did he align himself with any of the GOP
presidential contenders.
He did say, though, that while he believes in additional border
security, it is "untenable" to deport those who are in the United States
without legal status.
Jones
will face Bera, a three-term incumbent who has consistently been one of
the top targets for Republican backers. In 2014, Bera's razor-thin
reelection was won by
less than a percentage point in a campaign in which outside interest
groups alone spent more than $13 million.
Bera
found himself the target of criticism from organized labor this past
summer after supporting the Obama administration's Pacific Rim trade
deal. Whether that infighting
will translate into weakened support from traditional Democratic
backers in 2016 is unclear. Nonetheless, the congressman touted his
record in an email to reporters on Monday.
"I look forward to a substantive discussion about the issues that matter to my constituents," he said.
Jones
made national headlines in November 2014 when he posted a YouTube video
on illegal immigration, addressed to Obama. The video and its criticism
of the president
came just weeks after two Sacramento area deputies were killed in the
line of duty, with one of the suspects later identified by federal
officials as having been deported to Mexico twice and in the U.S.
without legal authorization.
Jones
also used his kickoff event to criticize the administration's approach
to the war on terror, in the wake of last week's deadly attacks in
Paris.
"When America retreats," he told reporters, "the world descends into chaos."
Jones
said he will not resign or take a leave of absence while running
against Bera next year. Elected to a second term as sheriff of
Sacramento County in 2014, he is
not up for reelection until 2018.
For more information, go to: www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com
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