The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Townhall.com.

The phrase “sanctuary city” should be redundant. Cities should be sanctuaries for citizens. Period.

The surrounding walls of a community kept inhabitants safe from marauding tribes in the Middle Ages. To this day, Vatican City has its ancient surroundings. Israel has a fence, with a cement wall in key sections, to protect their citizenry from Islamic terrorists and West Bank agitators. Those cities are safe, or at least safer.

American citizens, though, are finding less safety in their cities. In California, there are at least 35 sanctuary cities in the lawless sense: illegal aliens can live and work in these areas, and not worry about local enforcement cooperating with federal immigration authorities to deport them. How has this policy worked out? Ask Maria Espinoza of the Remembrance Project, and the thousands of American lives lost to illegal aliens—murderers, drunk-drivers, rapists, etc. who found safe haven on American streets.

“Sanctuary cities” are Orwellian nonsense writ large. There is no safety, there is no security, and they undermine the very concept of city, which exists to serve and protect … citizens. In urban centers across the country, the very concept of “city” has been notoriously abused. Chicago, along with Los Angeles and New York City, have brazenly announced their sanctuary city status. Windy City Mayor Rahm Emanuel comforted the illegals in his midst that he would do everything possible to shield them from deportation. It’s too bad many of the residents (legal or not) get shot by gang bangers and mafia interests.

In Los Angeles, I visited the site of an abandoned warehouse, burned to the core, where five Americans died in a fire set by an illegal. He faces capital murder charges, but he never should have been here! In New York City and its environs, legal residents have sounded the alarm against legal protections for illegal aliens (reflect on how insane it sounds), at the expense of the law-abiding citizens. Reminder to the municipal governance and their employees: the law-abiding taxpayers are paying the salaries (and pensions) of peace officers. They should be protecting citizens in their own cities. Is this really a hard concept to understand?

I must say I found it especially refreshing when Ann Coulter, Michelle Malkin, and the rest of the conservative phalanx praised Trump’s hardline stances on immigration. It’s about time that this country cared about its countrymen. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has declared his full intention to sign all legislation that will defund sanctuary cities. Hopefully, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker will have a similar bill on his desk. Kudos to departing Gov. Pat McCrory for signing a similar bill for North Carolina.

But here in California, the reckless, feckless, dangerous Democrats are busy readying the ramparts to protect the illegal aliens from the incoming Trump administration. This is truly laughable. They are indeed the ghosts of Confederates’ past. Democratic elites have banned firearms, and reduced the powers of the National Guard and local law enforcement to do their jobs. What are they going to do if Trump directs the National Guard to key cities, deposing rogue city councilmembers to enforce federal immigration laws?

That will be a sight to see, since the Bay Area snobs and the Los Angeles Anti-Social In-Justice Warriors only have signs, banners, and cups of Starbucks. Not much for fighting a rebellion! Has anyone seen Illegal Immigration’s Patron Saint Ricardo Lara? He boasted that he would fight in the streets before allowing one illegal to be removed. He could use a workout before working out such a fantasy. We the People (and Rising!) in California cannot wait for Trump to “flip the switch” (per Texas Congressman John Culberson), which will cut of all federal funding to cities which protect illegals.

Of course, California’s corrupt political class refuses to learn their lesson. Like petulant children threatening their parents with water guns, they are defying federal authorities and shoring meager funding to protect their voting base. Yes indeed, illegal aliens are registering to vote, especially now that California residents can register to vote online or receive automatic registration with a new driver’s license!

Then there’s this development: locally elected officials are scrambling to add their cities to the “sanctuary city” list. They believe strength in numbers will work against the Trump Administration’s immigration enforcement. We the People Rising received a tip that Rialto, California was holding a special “Sanctuary City Special Committee” on Friday, December 30: just before the New Year, during a date and time when the vast majority of citizens would have left the area. We arrived at city hall, and found newly-elected councilman Rafael Trujillo (see photo above), the puppet of amnesty-pandering Congresswoman Norma Torres. He was apparently waiting for the constituents he intended to plot with. He denied any knowledge about a meeting.

Too late!

Not only did we upend his secret meeting, but our team of citizen journalists followed his plodding posterior around the city hall campus. We demanded answers, and members or groups who had lost loved ones to illegal aliens confronted his arrogance and demanded answers. Sweaty and nervous, Trujillo sputtered that he had not expected so many people to show up. We all roared with laughter. He got caught!

He called the police on us. Five law enforcement officers showed up, then informed him that we had every right to question him. His co-conspirators tried to talk privately with him, but we disrupted their treasonous collusion, too. Finally, Rafael ran to his car and sped off. Then a reporter from the local Spanish Press, Alejandro Cano, arrived. We scared him off, too. Later on we found out that the city councilman invited the corrupt “journalist” to write a puff-piece about Rialto’s upcoming sanctuary city status.

Thwarting evil plots, exposing crooked politicians, and embarrassing corrupt media types has become all in a day’s work for us California citizens. And we hope that more people follow our example until Trump’s Inauguration Day!