California Mayor Wants to ‘Purge’ Homeless Population with ‘Free Fentanyl’

Lancaster, California – In a moment that’s ignited national outrage and fierce debate, longtime Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris shocked city residents and critics alike by suggesting the federal government should implement a “purge” to deal with the growing homeless crisis — and even floated giving addicts “all the fentanyl they want.”

Parris, a Republican who’s held office since 2008, delivered the explosive comments during a heated city council meeting in February. The moment went viral over the weekend after local footage resurfaced, showing the mayor responding to public criticism over a city plan to relocate homeless individuals to an abandoned golf course.

“What I want to do is give them free fentanyl,” Parris said bluntly, cutting off a concerned resident mid-sentence. “I want to give them all the fentanyl they want.”

The woman responded in disbelief, telling the mayor his statement “was not kind.”

But Parris doubled down in an interview with FOX LA, clarifying he wasn’t referring to all homeless individuals — just the hardened criminals he says are embedded in the unhoused population and causing chaos.

“I was talking about the criminals — the people released from prison who now make up 40 to 45 percent of the so-called homeless,” Parris explained. “These are the ones committing our rapes, robberies, even murders. We’ve offered them help. They don’t want it.”

The longtime mayor said fentanyl is already “everywhere on the street” and insisted no one should take his comments literally. But he stood by his underlying message: he wants these individuals gone.

“I wish the president would allow a purge. Because we do need to purge these people,” Parris said. “It’s harsh, I know. But I’m not here to be nice. I’m here to protect our families — the hardworking Americans who play by the rules and are being punished for it.”

Parris also took a jab at other cities failing to address the problem head-on, saying Lancaster has done more than most to offer innovative solutions — but criminals abusing the system are undermining real progress.

“We’ve built housing. We’ve funded outreach. But we can’t fix a broken system when the federal government keeps dumping criminals on our streets.”

Still, political opponents are pouncing.

Johnathon Ervin, a Democrat who ran against Parris and lost in 2024, is leading a recall effort and labeled Parris “unfit for public office.”

“Anyone who talks about purging the homeless or handing out fentanyl doesn’t belong in government,” Ervin told the Los Angeles Times.

Despite the backlash, the recall campaign has only gained minimal traction — with just 6% of the needed 20,000 signatures gathered so far.

Parris, no stranger to controversy (he once suggested banning neckties from the workplace to promote health), is clearly unshaken. His current term runs through April 2028.

In a country fed up with lawlessness and hollow promises, Parris may have struck a nerve — and tapped into a growing chorus of frustrated Americans demanding bold action to take their streets back.

No comment has been issued by the mayor’s office as of press time.