This former Yolo deputy compared immigrants to animals. Now he’s leading the Newsom recall

Whether you support or oppose the recall effort against Gov. Gavin Newsom, this much is certain: Orrin Heatlie has no place in California politics.

Heatlie, a Folsom native who spent 25 years with the Yolo County Sheriff’s Department, initiated the recall campaign against Newsom. Its unexpected success — organizers say they’ll have the nearly 1.5 million signatures needed to put a recall on the ballot — has put a bright spotlight on Heatlie.

That spotlight has already revealed a disturbingly racist and anti-immigrant statement Heatlie posted on Facebook last April.

“Microchip Illegal Aliens. It Works! Just Ask Animal Control,” wrote Heatlie in a post first reported by Politico in November.

Let’s unpack this a bit. First, Heatlie — who has said he won’t get the COVID vaccine — suggests implanting microchips into immigrants in violation of their human rights. He also goes out of his way to slam them as “illegal aliens,” which is the outdated term for undocumented immigrants preferred by bigots everywhere.

Then, just to make sure everyone understands his clear intention to dehumanize immigrants, Heatlie adds the “animal control” line. Heatlie, who used to wear a badge and gun on our streets, apparently sees immigrants as more akin to stray cats and dogs than human beings.

Sadly, it comes as no surprise that a law enforcement officer would harbor such feelings towards the immigrants on whom California’s economy depends. But the fact that Heatlie is a leader in the movement to recall Newsom tells you everything you need to know about who is actually behind this effort.

There are valid criticisms of Newsom. We’ve outlined many of them in these pages. It’s likely that some Democratic and independent voters signed the recall petition. By and large, however, the recall movement is driven largely by extreme right-wing figures who support Donald Trump and oppose vaccinations.

“None of this is likely to play well in California,” wrote Dan Morain, The Sacramento Bee’s former editorial page editor, in the Washington Post.

The Bee Editorial Board has not yet taken a position on the recall. If it qualifies for the ballot, it seems unlikely to succeed. If it does qualify, we plan to speak with people on both sides before taking an official position. But if Heatlie maintains his leadership position with the campaign, this decision will be even more of a no-brainer than it already is.

The recall comes at a time when hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are on the rise and our society is reckoning with its legacy of systemic racism. By allowing a sicko racist cop to lead the recall, the effort’s organizers have handed Newsom’s team an amazing gift by completely undermining its credibility.

Heatlie dismissed his anti-immigrant post as “hyperbole,” but that doesn’t mean it’s not racist. It’s chilling to think that this man spent 25 years in law enforcement. We can’t help but wonder how his racist attitude toward immigrants manifested in his role as a Yolo deputy sheriff.

Republican leaders, including the three running for governor against Newsom, must condemn Heatlie’s remarks and demand his resignation from the recall campaign. Otherwise, we’ll have to assume that they find his views agreeable.