24-04-2025
California mayor calls for free fentanyl to be given to 'purge' homeless population
'Quite frankly, I wish the president would give us a purge. Because we do need to purge these people'
A Southern California mayor has called for a "purge" of homeless people by "giving them all the fentanyl they want'.
Mayor R Rex Parris caused controversy during a council meeting when he suggested that one approach to tackling the homelessness problem in Lancaster would be by giving people the lethal drug.
Parris, described as a 'larger-than-life trial lawyer' by The Los Angeles Times, made the comments during a city council meeting on February 25 when a resident questioned him about the city's plan to "enclose" the homeless population in an encampment on an abandoned golf course.
"What I want to do is give them free fentanyl. That's what I want to do," Parris retorted.
"I want to give them all the fentanyl they want.'
However, it wasn't until Parris, who has been mayor of Lancaster, a city in northern Los Angeles County, with a population of about 175,000 since 2008, doubled down on his remarks during an interview with Fox LA that his statements went viral.
Parris said that while he did not expect his comments to be taken "literally," he told the outlet that fentanyl is "so easy" to obtain on the streets that it would not make a difference if the city offered the opioid to homeless people for free.
The mayor sought to credit Lancaster for providing more "innovative" solutions to the homeless crisis than other US cities and floated the idea of a federal "purge" to cut down on the homeless population.
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'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,' he said.
'They are responsible for most of our robberies, most of our rapes, and at least half of our murders,' he claimed.
He added: 'Quite frankly, I wish the president would give us a purge. Because we do need to purge these people.
'Now, is it harsh? Of course it is harsh. But it is my obligation as the mayor of the city of Lancaster to protect the hardworking families that live here, and I am no longer able to do it. It's an untenable situation. I want these people out of our city.'
His remarks have been greeted with anger by political opponents with one, Johnathon Ervin, a Democrat who lost to Parris in last year's mayoral election, saying: '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.'
According to figures from the Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, reported in the Antelope Valley Press, there were 6,672 people experiencing homelessness in 2024, 1,989 more than in 2023.
That includes the cities of Lancaster and Palmdale, as well as surrounding areas.
The LA Times reports that residents have become accustomed to the mayor's sometimes 'grand' proposals.
He previously raised eyebrows when he talked about opening a trade office in Beijing and building a Buddhist temple in his desert town in a bid to woo Chines business.
He also proposed make neckties optional among workers in the city, based on studies that they diminish blood flow to the brain.
Mayor R Rex Parris caused controversy regarding the homeless in his city
The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California released a report in 2021, alleging the widespread abuse of homeless people in Lancaster.
The ACLU claimed the city had created a 'dragnet of criminalization' in which deputies and city code enforcement officers 'regularly bulldoze encampments of unhoused people and order them to move by threat of citation.'
However, Parris said at that time that he was 'trying to create an environment where people who are disabled can thrive' and that he was 'not going to just let people live wherever they want, camp where they want, extort money from people who are shopping.'
The mayor who has faced past scrutiny over his controversial moves, including his decision to extend mayoral terms from two years to four, is now facing a recall effort following his comments at the city council meeting,
"For too long, Mayor R Rex Parris has prioritized personal gain over the well-being of residents. His administration has been marked by mismanagement, controversial policies, and a disregard for transparency," a recall petition reads.
"Lancaster deserves leadership that listens, serves, and uplifts the community – not one that divides and exploits it," it adds.
