Eric Holder, LAPD chief say ‘sanctuary state’ bill will restore trust between immigrants, police
Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck and State Sen. Kevin de León voiced their support Monday in downtown Los Angeles for de León’s bill that would limit local and state law enforcement assistance with federal immigration action in California.
Senate Bill 54, named the California Values Act, was approved by the state Senate in April and is still moving through the state Assembly.
De León began by thanking Holder, Beck and others for supporting the bill, before decrying the “reckless Trump administration” for its efforts to withhold federal dollars from cities that say they won’t cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
CA Senate Leader in Roundtable Discussion on SB 54
California Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon describes the bill he authored "The California Values Act," and says to describe it as a sanctuary state measure is a misnomer. He says the measure will prevent federal agents from rounding up undocumented prisoners in jails and deporting them, where they can return and commit more crime.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell said there are policies in place now. He said ICE agents enter jails to take violent offenders after they have served their time with a safe custody transfer.
Under Trump, California Goes Its Own Way
NPR's On Point
From climate change to healthcare reform and sanctuary cities, California takes center stage in the resistance to President Trump. Are they California dreaming?
California, the sixth largest economy in the world, is in a political battle. Their target: The Trump administration. The state gave Trump only 31 percent of the vote and is now leading the charge against his policies — On healthcare. Climate change. Immigration. Taxes. And more. Are they California dreaming? Or starting something that could spread? This hour On Point: California takes center stage in the resistance. — Jessica Yellin
California is on its way to becoming the nation’s first sanctuary state
After a series of immigration raids in cities that limit immigration enforcement — including New York, Austin, and Los Angeles — tensions are escalating between the Trump administration and sanctuary jurisdictions the president has repeatedly threatened to defund. Adding to that tension are the recently released documents from the Department of Homeland Security that outline a new enforcement strategy that targets illegal immigrants who have broken the law in any way.
Despite DHS chief John Kelly’s assurance that there will not be mass deportations, some state governments are being proactive. In California, which is home to 3 million undocumented immigrants, Democrats are pushing a bill to significantly restrict local law enforcement’s cooperation with federal immigration authorities, effectively creating the country’s first sanctuary state.
The many ways Trump is wrong on sanctuary cities
In his first-week executive order threatening to cut off federal funding from “sanctuary cities,” President Donald Trump claimed they “have caused immeasurable harm to the American people and to the very fabric of our Republic.”
Not really.
In fact, new research suggests quite the opposite – that counties that shield undocumented immigrants are generally safer and more prosperous than similar counties that cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
In the study, the Center for American Progress used data obtained by the Immigrant Legal Resource Center to compare 608 counties that do not hold undocumented immigrants without other charges and hand them over with 1,884 counties that work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.