He added: “It makes sure that police, sheriffs, school security officers are not involved in deportations, not involved in reporting community members, arresting, detaining, turning community members over to ICE for deportation.”
The bill signals California's Democratic leaders will stand with the state's estimated 2.3 million undocumented residents, said Blake Nordahl, supervising attorney at the McGeorge Law School’s immigration clinic in Sacramento.
Nordahl said the bill also sends the message: "that immigration is a federal issue," and that locals police should "stay out of it."
The bill would prohibit immigration enforcement at public schools, hospitals and courts and designate those places as so-called ‘safe zones.’
Under the bill, local police would still comply with judicial warrants, including the transfer of violent offenders into the custody of federal immigration agents.
UC Davis Law School Dean Kevin R. Johnson told Capital Public Radio on Wednesday that California has the legal authority to restrict cooperation between local police and federal immigration authorities. The question, he said, is how might the incoming Trump administration react.
“I think there may be federal pressure on local law enforcement to cooperate,” Johnson said.
Trump has said he’ll cancel federal funding for sanctuary cities -- those that limit cooperation between local police and federal immigration officials. Many of California’s largest cities, including Sacramento, Los Angeles and Sacramento, are considered sanctuary cities.
“That’s the real rub: There’s going to be state and federal tension,” Johnson said.CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you. As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.
