Mysterious billboards urge migrants to come to S.F.
Two billboards that recently appeared in a Texas border town seemingly direct individuals crossing into the United States in the direction of San Francisco and New York.
The signs in El Paso prominently display the words “Sanctuary City” along with images of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Statue of Liberty against the Manhattan skyline, respectively. Both billboards alternately feature banners proclaiming “San Francisco Welcomes Immigrants” and “New York City Welcomes Immigrants,” with a link to SanctuaryCities.com.
The sparse website, which features little detailed information and what appear to be stock photographs, claims that these cities offer a “safe haven for immigrants” regardless of their immigration status, promising a reduced risk of deportation and “abundant” social services, health care and diversity.
A message to the listed email address on the Sanctuary Cities website was not immediately returned.
Local authorities in El Paso suspect the campaign is the work of a rogue group aiming to create chaos.
John Martin, deputy director of the Opportunity Center for the Homeless in El Paso, said he was concerned about the potentially disingenuous nature of this messaging for the migrant population, stating that the implied availability of extensive resources in these cities may not align with reality.
“We don’t know who is behind it, but I will tell you that it’s very misleading because it’s implying that a large number of resources are available to the migrants if they make it there, that could include shelter, basic necessities, food, clothing, legal assistance, housing,” Martin told local station KVIA, the first to report the presence of the billboards. “In reality, we know based upon what we’ve seen in the media, that that’s not true.”
Earlier this year, a similar billboard appeared on a truck around Eagle Pass, Texas, near the Mexico border, promoting San Francisco’s purported “lax shoplifting laws.”
The accompanying brochure, titled “United States of America Sanctuary City Travel Guide,” highlighted the city’s policies limiting cooperation with the national government’s immigration enforcement efforts. It was not clear if the same group was behind both advertising campaigns.
San Francisco’s sanctuary city ordinance, established in 1989, generally restricts city employees from using funds or resources to aid Immigration and Customs Enforcement in enforcing federal immigration laws, unless required by federal or state law.
In 2013, San Francisco passed the “Due Process for All” ordinance, which imposed restrictions on when San Francisco officers could inform ICE of a person’s release from local jail. Additionally, the ordinance prohibited cooperation with ICE detainer requests.
The policies are intended in part to encourage undocumented immigrants to interact with San Francisco law enforcement officials without the fear of being deported.
The San Francisco Human Rights Commission, which advises city officials on issues and policies related to immigrants who live or work in San Francisco, and the mayor’s office declined to comment on the matter.