California Mayor Sparks Outrage wants to ‘purge’ homeless population

[Social Media]

 

A Southern California mayor is facing widespread criticism after expressing a desire to “purge” the homeless population of his city by giving them “all the fentanyl they want.” Lancaster Mayor (Republican) Rex Parris made the shocking remarks during a city council meeting on February 25 and later reiterated his stance in a televised interview.

 

 

Parris’s comments were sparked during a discussion on the city’s homelessness policies, which include relocating unhoused individuals to an abandoned golf course near a residential area. As a concerned resident raised objections, Parris interrupted her, saying, “What I want to do is give them free fentanyl. I mean, that’s what I want to do. I want to give them all the fentanyl they want.”

 

 

The woman, clearly disturbed by the statement, told the mayor that his remarks were unkind. However, Parris, who has served as mayor since 2008, showed no remorse. In a follow-up interview with FOX LA, he clarified that his comments were directed at what he called the “criminal element” within the homeless population—individuals he claims were released from prison and now make up a significant portion of those living on the streets.

NEW: California mayor says he wants give homeless people “all the fentanyl they want,” doubles down on his comments after facing backlash.

Woman: “It sounds like you want to kind of enclose all these homeless people in one territory.”

Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris: “What I want… pic.twitter.com/mOBRW6k2tl

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) April 21, 2025

 

“I made it very clear I was talking about the criminal element that were let out of the prisons that have now become 40 to 45% of what’s referred to as the homeless population,” Parris said. “They are responsible for most of our robberies, most of our rapes, and at least half of our murders.”

 

He did not provide any data to support these allegations. When asked about the severity of his words, Parris brushed them off, saying he didn’t believe anyone would take them literally, especially given how readily available fentanyl is on the streets already. Still, he doubled down on his views, suggesting that the federal government should take more aggressive action against the homeless.

 

“Quite frankly, I wish that the president would give us a purge. Because we do need to purge these people,” Parris declared. “Now, is it harsh? Of course, it is harsh. But it’s my obligation as the mayor of the city of Lancaster to protect the hardworking families that live there, and I am no longer able to do it … It’s an untenable situation and I’m open to any solution … I want these people out of our city.”

 

Parris has previously stirred controversy, including his 2018 call to ban neckties in the workplace for health reasons. Now, his most recent comments have fueled a recall effort led by critics who view his rhetoric as dangerous and inhumane. Among those condemning him is Johnathon Ervin, a Democrat who ran against Parris in the last mayoral election.

 

“Anyone willing to give homeless people all the fentanyl they want, or to suggest that President Trump should allow a purge of the homeless population, has no business in public office,” Ervin told the Los Angeles Times.

 

Despite the outrage, the online petition to recall Parris has only reached 6% of its 20,000-signature goal as of Sunday night. Parris's current term is set to expire in April 2028. He has yet to publicly respond to the backlash beyond his initial interviews.

 

Adpated by ASEAN Now from New York Post  2025-04-23

 

 

[impulse]

More lefty outrage over a joke.  In poor taste, but just a joke.

 

Edit:  BTW, I am a believer in the restricted bloodflow to the brain theory of neckties.  

 

Parris has previously stirred controversy, including his 2018 call to ban neckties in the workplace for health reasons. 

[Tug]

Buss them to Texas 

[Watawattana]

1 hour ago, Social Media said:

 

A Southern California mayor is facing widespread criticism after expressing a desire to “purge” the homeless population of his city by giving them “all the fentanyl they want.” Lancaster Mayor (Republican) Rex Parris made the shocking remarks during a city council meeting on February 25 and later reiterated his stance in a televised interview.

 

 

Parris’s comments were sparked during a discussion on the city’s homelessness policies, which include relocating unhoused individuals to an abandoned golf course near a residential area. As a concerned resident raised objections, Parris interrupted her, saying, “What I want to do is give them free fentanyl. I mean, that’s what I want to do. I want to give them all the fentanyl they want.”

 

 

The woman, clearly disturbed by the statement, told the mayor that his remarks were unkind. However, Parris, who has served as mayor since 2008, showed no remorse. In a follow-up interview with FOX LA, he clarified that his comments were directed at what he called the “criminal element” within the homeless population—individuals he claims were released from prison and now make up a significant portion of those living on the streets.

 

“I made it very clear I was talking about the criminal element that were let out of the prisons that have now become 40 to 45% of what’s referred to as the homeless population,” Parris said. “They are responsible for most of our robberies, most of our rapes, and at least half of our murders.”

 

He did not provide any data to support these allegations. When asked about the severity of his words, Parris brushed them off, saying he didn’t believe anyone would take them literally, especially given how readily available fentanyl is on the streets already. Still, he doubled down on his views, suggesting that the federal government should take more aggressive action against the homeless.

 

“Quite frankly, I wish that the president would give us a purge. Because we do need to purge these people,” Parris declared. “Now, is it harsh? Of course, it is harsh. But it’s my obligation as the mayor of the city of Lancaster to protect the hardworking families that live there, and I am no longer able to do it … It’s an untenable situation and I’m open to any solution … I want these people out of our city.”

 

Parris has previously stirred controversy, including his 2018 call to ban neckties in the workplace for health reasons. Now, his most recent comments have fueled a recall effort led by critics who view his rhetoric as dangerous and inhumane. Among those condemning him is Johnathon Ervin, a Democrat who ran against Parris in the last mayoral election.

 

“Anyone willing to give homeless people all the fentanyl they want, or to suggest that President Trump should allow a purge of the homeless population, has no business in public office,” Ervin told the Los Angeles Times.

 

Despite the outrage, the online petition to recall Parris has only reached 6% of its 20,000-signature goal as of Sunday night. Parris's current term is set to expire in April 2028. He has yet to publicly respond to the backlash beyond his initial interviews.

 

Adpated by ASEAN Now from New York Post  2025-04-23

 

 

 

Pah!  This guy is way too leftie.  California needs a leader who is strong against crime.  Anyone want to start a campaign for Rodrigo Duterte to become Mayor?  Someone might need to spring him from The Hague though.

[FlorC]

He's not wrong , but from what I read , dying from fentanyl is not that great.

[hotsun]

46 minutes ago, Watawattana said:

 

Pah!  This guy is way too leftie.  California needs a leader who is strong against crime.  Anyone want to start a campaign for Rodrigo Duterte to become Mayor?  Someone might need to spring him from The Hague though.

Duterte is better than anyone california has got

[black tabby12345]

Apart from putting down the homeless, is it true that some states(of US) are sending such people to Hawaii(and some other tropical territories) with one way ticket?

 

Or is it just a groundless Urban Legend?

[renaissanc]

There can be no solution to the homelessness situation as long as:

 

1.  The Radical Left controls California, and the population keeps voting them (back ) into power.

2.  There is no unity between the Dem-Marxists and the Republicans.

3.  Newsom doesn't care about the homeless.

[bkk6060]

Lancaster is a dump.  Cesspool of crime the mayor is probably sick of it.

 

 

FBI stats

[Wrwest]

Wait, what?! Republican ... who would have thunk it!

[BangkokReady]

3 hours ago, impulse said:

More lefty outrage over a joke.  In poor taste, but just a joke.

 

Edit:  BTW, I am a believer in the restricted bloodflow to the brain theory of neckties.  

 

Parris has previously stirred controversy, including his 2018 call to ban neckties in the workplace for health reasons. 

 

Indeed.  In our terminally online world, throw away remarks that express frustration, and were never intended to be taken literally, suddenly get repackaged into declarations of policy to try to generate outrage.

 

People seem to forget that language is full of hyperbole.  "I'd like to throttle him", "I could slap you right now", "I'll swing for him", "I tell you what I would like to do...", etc., which are expressions of anger or frustration, not genuine proposals to harm or kill people.

 

To take these remarks and suggest that they are genuine intentions is simply ridiculous.

 

Good people can say daft things sometimes, especially if they are passionate about a subject.  If you want to make pathological control of ones own language a necessity for holding public office, I do not believe you will end up with the best people for the job.  I think you will get the exact opposite.

[impulse]

59 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

Lancaster is a dump.  Cesspool of crime the mayor is probably sick of it.

  

I've been to Lancaster several times as my college roommate lived there, working for the Corp of Engineers at Edwards AFB.  That was the '90s and it looked pretty desolate out in the middle of the desert.   But if you're going to be homeless... No rain and rarely freezing.

 

I take the mayor at his word that they're being inundated with newly released convicts now making up about half of their homeless.   I don't know how California does it, but in Houston, they drop the released inmates at the Houston bus station with (I think) $25 in their pocket.  My sister's house is a few blocks away and there's always homeless people milling around begging for money.  It's a big problem in her otherwise great (and spendy) neighborhood.

 

So yes, I wouldn't blame the guy if he was sick of it.  But I don't claim to know the solution.

 

[bwanajohn]

America has over twice the number of people worth over 10 million dollars as the second country in the list (China with almost 3x the population).The lions share of the richest and largest companies,the biggest GDP of any country.

And there solution to the poverty is purge the poor.Scary kind of Christians 

[impulse]

6 minutes ago, bwanajohn said:

Scary kind of Christians

 

Funny.  I don't recall the passage in the Bible where Jesus advocated getting on the dole.

 

2 Thessalonians 3:10 Context: For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: "If anyone will not work, neither let him eat."