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State lawmakers acted Saturday to clear the last legislative hurdles to make California a “sanctuary state.”
The California Senate passed the bill early Saturday. Democrat Gov. Jerry Brown has indicated he will sign it.
Assemblyman Steven Choi, R-Irvine, who is also a first-generation immigrant from South Korea, said he came to the U.S. legally and the bill created “chaos” for a country built on law and order.
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Republicans in the California Legislature remained opposed to the measure on Friday, saying it would tie the hands of law enforcement and compromise public safety.
“A lot of people talk about building a wall. This bill builds a wall between the federal government and our local partners and makes our communities less safe,” said James Gallagher, a Republican state assemblyman.
Some in law enforcement also opposed the new law.
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“Our overarching concern remains that limiting local law enforcement’s ability to communicate and cooperate with federal law enforcement officers endangers public safety,” the California State Sheriffs’ Association said in a statement.
The California Values Act would forbid state and local law enforcement agencies from providing information to or acting as the deputies for federal immigration authorities. The bill also prohibits police and sheriffs’ officers from inquiring about a person’s immigration status.
The bill went through an intense amending process. The final version allows jail and prison officials to notify the federal government if they have arrested an illegal immigrant with a felony record and allows federal immigration officers to interview people in custody.
However, the law bans any local jail holding a detainee for additional jail time that would then allow federal authorities to take an illegal immigrant into custody.
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The bill does include some exceptions, including suspects accused of the most violent or serious crimes.
“This bill here today helps some of us to believe that California is a safe place for immigrants, that we are a Golden State,” said Democrat Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula.
California is home to an estimated 2.3 million illegal immigrants.
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