'Official Sanctuary City' Sign Stirs Up Trouble in Malibu

MALIBU, CA -- Three weeks since the city of Malibu declared itself a 'sanctuary city,' a new sign popped up on Pacific Coast Highway in causing a stir.

The sign reads, "Official Sanctuary City ‘Cheap Nannies and Gardeners Make Malibu Great!’ (Boyle Heights Not So Much).” The blue-and-white sign even carries the city's official seal and the official California state seal.

City officials quickly denounced the sign, saying it was a mean-spirited prank.

“This was not an official city sign,” Malibu Councilwoman Laura Rosenthal told the Los Angeles Times. “It’s down, and it’s very disheartening that anyone would put up such an ugly sign.”

The sign, which was first reported Tuesday evening, was bolted to an existing marker, which is evidence that whoever posted the sign spent some time on it, Rosenthal told the L.A. Times.

Rosenthal was the one who introduced a motion several months ago to declare Malibu a "sanctuary city," where immigrants in the U.S. illegally can feel safe from deportations.

The issue had divided the city for weeks leading up to the March 10 vote, but the council majority said they were concerned about reports that 80 students in Malibu's public schools are either in the country without legal permission or children of people in the country without legal permission.

"It is time to have the courage to show the people that come here and the people who live here and the young people who go to school here that they will be protected here," Rosenthal said at the March 10 city council meeting.

The city receives less than $50,000 in federal funds, making any possible financial consequences minor, supporters said. The brief appearance of the sign is evidence that the debate over the issue is far from over.

No one has claimed responsibility for the sign, which was taken down Wednesday. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is now investigating the matter.

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