On Tuesday, Nov. 3, voters face a serious political dilemma: Who should we support and will they agree to uphold their oath of office—which is “a solemn promise, often invoking a divine witness, regarding one’s future action or behavior”—and “support and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
Lately many well-organized protests have occurred throughout the United States and in our county protesting the enforcement of laws created by Congress as described in the Constitution. In Lompoc, a very noisy and colorful rabble bearing signs that appear to be the same as those seen with other groups on local and national news feeds began their latest protest on the same day other groups are doing the same thing in other cities.
This makes some people think that this is an organized effort that is well funded and not just a few concerned citizens.
Apparently, the protesters don’t realize that local governments really have no authority to usurp the duty of the federal government to enforce the laws created by Congress.
Unfortunately, some elected officials and those currently seeking election have been caught up in the anxiety of the moment and are ignoring the oath they took when sworn into office.
Some elected officials and those currently seeking election have been caught up in the anxiety of the moment and are ignoring the oath they took when sworn into office.
Noozhawk recently reported that Guadalupe council member and mayoral candidate Christina Hernandez spoke out against the recent ICE activity. “Our community has constitutional rights, and it’s important that residents know and assert those rights. When our families feel safe, our entire community is stronger,” (“ICE Agents Reportedly Detain 114 People on Central Coast During Weeklong Operation,” Oct. 13).
Well, she is right. American citizens do have constitutional rights; noncitizens are not granted those rights. The U.S. Constitution provides that the Congress shall establish laws related to immigration, and the enforcement of those laws rests with the the U.S. government.
Voters are facing a serious dilemma when it comes to choosing who should be their next elected officials.
Another example is Lompoc City Councilman Jeremy Ball, who is seeking the office of mayor. He has participated in organized protests at the intersection of Central and H in Lompoc several times during his tenure as a council member.
Other candidates in other jurisdictions have also advocated support for protesters who probably haven’t read and certainly don’t understand how immigration laws are created and just who has the duty to enforce them.
Instead, they think that the louder they shriek their demands and the more misinformation they spew, they can change the laws created by Congress and how they are enforced. Maybe a civics lesson would help them understand the error of their complaints.
The bigger problem is that some of these candidates will be elected to office, and once they have taken their oath to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States,” they will immediately ignore it.
Ron Fink writes to the Sun from Lompoc. Send a letter for publication to letters@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in October 29 – November 5, 2026.
