SB 54 - State Sanctuary Bill
As a response to the strict policies coming from the federal level on immigration, the state of California is closing in adopting a new bill that seeks to prevent local police from using resources to carry out federal immigration laws.
At the start of the year, Senate President pro tem Kevin De Leon introduced the California Values Act, a bill which will increase protections for undocumented immigrants in the state with no criminal background.
Senate Bill 54 expands some of the protections already in place in certain cities to the state level. The goal of the bill is to prevent local law enforcement agencies to use resources for immigration enforcement purposes, which is the responsibility of the federal government.
On Friday, the bill made out of appropriations committee and is expected to be voted by the assembly next - SB54 passed the Senate back in April.
Earlier this month, Gov. Jerry Brown made recommendations for the bill to allow better communication and coordination with federal immigration officials in order to ensure that immigrants who have committed violent crimes are subject to be turned over to federal officials.
“I think the Governor has some good points. We have to ensure violent criminals are not part of the exemption,” said Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia.
Although the language of the bill establishes a procedure for violent felons to be turned to federal officials, the language of the bill would allow those convicted of serious crimes such as: burglary, human trafficking, assault on a police officer, sexual battery, spousal abuse, soliciting a murder and drunk driving while causing severe injury, to be among those who are not handed over to immigration officials, which is the main change that Gov. Brown called for.
Garcia said that for the Imperial and Coachella Valleys, “Collaboration between local, state and federal agencies is needed in our area to deal with issues as it pertains to our region such as human exploitation and drug trafficking.”
Sen. Ben Hueso couldn’t be reached for comment prior to press time, but a representative of his San Diego Office Erin Hickey said in an email that: “Senator Hueso supported the bill in its original form, but cannot comment at this time as to whether or not he supports the governor’s recommendations until after he has had time to fully review and consider them.”
During an Aug. 6 interview on NBC Meet the Press, Brown said about making the correct revisions to SB 54, “It is a balancing act. It does require some sensitivity. And that’s why I take a more nuanced and careful approach to dealing with what is a difficult problem. Because you do have people who are not here legally. They’ve committed crimes. They have no business in the United States in the manner in which they’ve come and conducted themselves subsequently.”
Garcia said he agrees with the revisions and suggestions made by Gov. Brown to ensure immigrants who’ve engaged in criminal activity are taken care of in the judicial system. He said the goal is to allow those without a criminal background to be able to feel safe and most importantly to be able to trust local law enforcement if they’ve been a victim or witness of a crime.
“It’s a loud and clear message that any victim of a crime should feel comfortable and assured that they’d be able to report crimes they witness and are victims of irrespective of their immigration status.
Recent studies estimate that approximately 2.5 million undocumented immigrants currently live in California.
In addition to feeling secure and comfortable reaching out to local law enforcement, Garcia said that the law-abiding immigrants in California have become an essential part of the state of California and furthermore stated that if local law enforcement becomes an extension of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, it could have severe consequences for areas such as the Valley.
“Many work in the agricultural sector and the impact it could have in our valleys which rely on them for labor force will be devastating to our region,” Garcia said. “We’ll stand with our immigrant population who play a large part in the economic development of our state.”
If the requested revisions are made, the bill will then be discussed on the floor of the assembly, according to the Los Angeles Times, if such changes aren’t made Brown could likely opt to veto it.
Garcia said the looming decision to be made by President Donald Trump this week regarding the faith of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program at the federal level will add urgency for state lawmakers to take a defying stand to protect its immigrant population.