"Mayors for Safe Cities" Fight California Sanctuary State Bill

California is already a sanctuary state and has been named as one. But the new California Values Act would go even further in protecting criminals from law enforcement. Here's the spin...

“It’s not a matter of ideology. It’s a matter of common sense,” said the bill’s author, Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León. “Our communities will become more and not less dangerous when local police officers are pulled from their duties to pull otherwise law-abiding maids, bus boys, gardeners and day laborers for immigration violations.”

Kevin de Leon is obviously lying. Here's what the California Values Act actually does.

 It would not prevent agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, from conducting deportation raids in California — but they would have to do so without the help of local or state police. They would also be banned from entering county jails to interview inmates suspected of living in the United States illegally.

If you force local law enforcement not to cooperate with Federal law enforcement, you should lose law enforcement grants. Which is what Attorney General Sessions has made clear. Meanwhile saner voices in California are fighting back.

A group of local elected officials from around San Diego County on Wednesday announced a new group they say will organize opposition to a bill in Sacramento to limit cooperation between local police and federal immigration authorities.

El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells called a press conference to announce the formation of the group, "Mayors for Safe Cities." Members oppose SB 54, or the California Values Act, which is currently in the state legislature.

Among the other elected officials at the press conference were Escondido Mayor Sam Abed, Poway Mayor Steve Vaus and San Marcos Mayor Jim Desmond. San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, who is currently in Mexico City advocating for closer cross-border cooperation, has rejected the label of "sanctuary city" for San Diego, but supports some policies associated with the sanctuary city movement.

A group of protesters showed up at the press conference, which was held at the El Cajon Police Department headquarters, holding up signs reading "No Hate, No Fear" and "Immigrants Welcome."

One of the protesters was Elizabeth Senhen, a resident of San Diego. She said SB 54 would make Californians safer because immigrants living in the country illegally could approach their local police without fear of being being handed over to federal authorities for deportation.

"If people of color don't feel comfortable engaging with the police, then all of that breaks down," she said.

If your bill bars Federal law enforcement from county jails, you're not protecting immigrants from approaching law enforcement to report a crime, but protecting criminals.

Poway Mayor Steve Vaus says it prevents police officers from doing their jobs. 

"Fundamentally, SB54 would sever the lines of communication between local law enforcement and state and federal agencies. Agencies that are charged with keeping us safe and making sure people follow the law. That's bad news," said Vaus.
 
"If you take away a street cops' radio and they lose communication, its bad. If you take away their communication with other agencies. That's bad too."