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California becomes 'sanctuary state' in rebuke of Trump immigration policy (latimes.com)

 

Under threat of possible retaliation by the Trump administration, Gov. Jerry Brown signed landmark “sanctuary state” legislation Thursday, vastly limiting who state and local law enforcement agencies can hold, question and transfer at the request of federal immigration authorities.

Senate Bill 54, which takes effect in January, has been blasted as “unconscionable” by U.S. Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions, becoming the focus of a national debate over how far states and cities can go to prevent their officers from enforcing federal immigration laws. Supporters have hailed it as part of a broader effort by majority Democrats in the California Legislature to shield more than 2.3 million immigrants living illegally in the state.

Brown took the unusual step of writing a signing message in support of SB 54. He called the legislation a balanced measure that would allow police and sheriff’s agencies to continue targeting dangerous criminals, while protecting hardworking families without legal residency in the country.

Other bills signed by Brown on Thursday would prevent some cities and counties from adding beds to immigrant detention centers, and would extend protections for immigrant workers and tenants.

In some places, the “sanctuary city” name is largely a symbolic message of political support for immigrants without legal residency. But other cities, most notably San Francisco and most recently Los Angeles, have cut ties with federal immigration officials and sought to build up social services for families, including city-funded legal aid.

The bill’s author, Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles), has countered that the state law is defensible in court and will send a strong message against new federal policies that he argues have pushed some families further into the shadows. Research has shown sanctuary cities have lower crime rates and that immigrants generally commit fewer crimes than U.S. citizens.

To read more of Jazmine Ulloa's article, please click here.

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ICE chief threatens ‘at-large arrests’ after Calif. creates state sanctuary [sfchronicle.com]

SACRAMENTO — President Trump’s immigration chief ripped into Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday for signing legislation that creates a statewide sanctuary policy, saying the federal government will be forced to “conduct at-large arrests in local neighborhoods and at work sites” of undocumented immigrants.

In a highly critical statement, Tom Homan, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said California’s new law undermines public safety and makes it harder for federal immigration officials to do their jobs.

He said Brown’s decision to sign SB54 on Thursday makes “California a sanctuary state for illegal aliens — including those who have committed crimes.”

Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León, D-Los Angeles, who wrote SB54, immediately fired back Friday, saying Homan’s comments were inaccurate and amounted to fearmongering.

[For more on this story by Melody Gutierrez, go to http://www.sfchronicle.com/pol...n-homan-12259761.php]

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