Supreme Court Rejects Trump's Challenge To CA 'Sanctuary' Law

CALIFORNIA — The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an effort by the Trump administration to void California's "sanctuary" law, which limits cooperation by local police with federal immigration authorities.

The decision leaves in place a lower-court ruling that upheld California's law. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito voted to allow the Trump administration's appeal to move forward.

The Trump administration argued that California's 2017 law conflicts with federal immigration law, making it harder to deport undocumented immigrants.

California, meanwhile, argued that it is counterproductive to force local police to work with federal immigration officers because it makes people less likely to report crimes, fearing they will be deported if they do.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra applauded the ruling in a statement Monday morning, saying it validated the state's belief that law enforcement should be handled at the state level.

"We’re protecting Californians’ right to decide how we do public safety in our state," Becerra said. "The Trump Administration does not have the authority to commandeer state resources."

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.