California declares itself a sanctuary state

A CONTINENT separates California and Donald Trump in more ways than one.
California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill, SB 54, that would make California a sanctuary state, the latest salvo in the ongoing war between the Golden State and the White House.

“These are uncertain times for undocumented Californians and their families, and this bill strikes a balance that will protect public safety, while bringing a measure of comfort to those families who are now living in fear every day,” Brown said in a statement.

The signing of the bill by Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, enacts on a state-wide level protections for undocumented immigrants that already exist in several California cities, including San Francisco, Berkeley and Oakland.

The law will not affect major aspects of U.S. immigration enforcement, Brown noted in his statement. It does not prohibit sheriffs from allowing federal immigration authorities into their jails and does not freeze deportation proceedings for prison inmates, Brown said.

"The signing of SB 54 into law because it will significantly improve protections for immigrants in California," stated Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus Policy Director Angela Chan. 

"This victory is the result of community organizing and immigrants bravely sharing their stories about being turned over to ICE at the hands of local law enforcement. We look forward to working to pass more protections for immigrants throughout California in the years to come," Chan said.

The California Values Act (SB 54) will

• Prohibit local law enforcement from automatically transferring people to federal immigration authorities, with some exceptions.
• Protect against unconstitutional detentions by barring local law enforcement from holding someone in custody, beyond their release date, for immigration agents.
• Ensure that California schools, hospitals, libraries, and courthouses remain safe and accessible spaces for everyone in California.

The bill will go into effect on January 1, 2018.

California leads the nation 2.3 million undocumented immigrants. About a third of that are undocumented Asian immigrants, according to Public Policy Institute of California.

Since January 2016, the PPIC Statewide Survey has asked Californians four times whether “there should be a way for [undocumented immigrants] to stay in the country legally, if certain requirements are met.” Each time, 82% or more have supported this idea. 

In January 2017, 65% of adults favored the idea of “California state and local governments making their own policies and taking actions, separate from the federal government, to protect the legal rights of undocumented immigrants in California.”

California has sued the Trump administration for trying to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Janet Napolitno, University of California president, and six DACA participants have also filed suits against the federal government

A lawsuit by San Francisco and Santa Clara has stymied Attorney General Jeff Sessions's effort to withhold federal funding from entities that have declared their sanctuary status.

“We are at a unique moment in our history when California needs to stand up for its values of inclusion and support for our most vulnerable populations,” stated Advancing Justice-CA Policy Manager Andrew Medina. “Advancing Justice-CA.
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