Save Our State (organization)

Save Our State (organization)
Name	Save Our State
Formation	1994
Type	Advocacy group
Headquarters	Los Angeles, California
Leader title	Founder
Leader name	Howard Jarvis (inspiration)

Save Our State (organization) is a California-based political advocacy group formed in the mid-1990s that has engaged in immigration policy campaigns, ballot initiative activity, public demonstrations, and litigation. The organization has interacted with a broad range of actors including state legislators, municipal authorities, civil rights organizations, and media outlets. Its actions have influenced debates in municipal elections, statewide initiatives, and federal immigration enforcement litigation.

History

Founded in 1994 amid heightened debate following the passage of Proposition 187 and the rise of anti-illegal immigration activism, the group emerged as part of a network of organizations responding to demographic and policy changes in California. Early activity paralleled campaigns by Howard Jarvis-aligned taxpayer groups and overlapped with municipal anti-immigration ordinances in cities such as Escondido, California and Santa Ana, California. The organization became visible during the late 1990s and early 2000s through protests near Ellis Island-style symbolic events, confrontations in Los Angeles, and participation in statewide ballot measure efforts similar in style to Proposition 200 and debates surrounding Proposition 209. Its history includes coordination with activist networks that engaged in direct action comparable to episodes associated with Minuteman Civil Defense Corps and other grassroots groups of the era.

Mission and Activities

The stated mission has emphasized enforcement of federal immigration statutes, promotion of English-language policies, and opposition to what it characterized as sanctuary policies enacted by city councils and county supervisors. Activities have ranged from organizing rallies in proximity to sites like Los Angeles International Airport and municipal buildings, to canvassing modeled after techniques used by campaign organizations such as Republican National Committee affiliates and advocacy groups resembling Center for Immigration Studies. The group has sought to influence elective politics by endorsing candidates in California State Assembly and Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors races, and by campaigning on ballot measures analogous to initiatives championed by California Secretary of State offices.

Campaigns and Legal Actions

The organization has run campaigns aimed at repealing or challenging sanctuary ordinances enacted by municipalities including cases tied to precedents in San Francisco and San Diego. It engaged in litigation strategies that intersected with federal litigation trends exemplified by cases argued before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and policies contested in the Supreme Court of the United States. Campaign tactics included support for local ballot initiatives influenced by earlier statewide measures such as Proposition 187 and coordination with civic groups experienced in ballot qualification processes used in California ballot proposition campaigns. The group has also filed administrative complaints and supported lawsuits invoking provisions of federal statutes enforced by agencies like the Department of Homeland Security and litigated in venues associated with the United States District Court for the Central District of California.

Controversies and Criticism

Controversies have centered on allegations of xenophobia, accusations from civil liberties groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund regarding discriminatory impact, and public disputes covered by outlets including the Los Angeles Times and San Francisco Chronicle. Critics compared some actions to rhetoric from national figures like Pat Buchanan and organizations such as the Minuteman Project, while supporters cited enforcement-focused politicians including Tom Tancredo and policy advocates from Federation for American Immigration Reform. Episodes of protest and counter-protest resulted in involvement by municipal police departments and scrutiny from state officials including the California Attorney General. Allegations of targeted leafleting and signage provoked responses from United Farm Workers-aligned groups and prompted municipal legislative reviews in cities like Irvine, California and Anaheim, California.

Organization and Leadership

Leadership has included local activists with prior involvement in taxpayer advocacy and citizen initiative campaigns reminiscent of figures associated with Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association activities. The group operated through local chapters in metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles County, Orange County, California, and San Bernardino County, coordinating volunteer canvassers using tactics similar to campaign field operations run by the California Republican Party and grassroots networks found in Tea Party movement-era organizing. Organizational governance involved board members and campaign committees that interfaced with county registrars and election offices during signature-gathering drives, and with municipal clerks during ordinance referendum efforts.

Funding and Affiliations

Funding sources have included small-dollar donations from individual supporters, contributions from activist networks comparable to those backing anti-immigration groups, and in-kind support from allied organizations. Affiliations and cooperative actions connected the group with conservative advocacy entities and local political clubs patterned after Young Americans for Freedom-style chapters, and at times with national coalitions aligned with policymakers in Congress advocating stricter immigration enforcement. Financial interactions involved coordination with independent expenditure committees and volunteer-driven grassroots fundraising methods commonly used in California ballot proposition campaigns.

Category:Political organizations based in California Category:Immigration politics in the United States