Murrieta 'Continues To Oppose' State's Sanctuary Law, SB 54

MURRIETA, CA — Murrieta officials on Tuesday voiced their continued opposition to the state's divisive "sanctuary law," or SB 54. The law, which took effect Jan. 1, limits local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

The state's law, called The California Values Act, has been the subject of debate among many California communities in recent weeks. Beaumont was among the first in Riverside County to officially "oppose" the law, when they approved a resolution last month. Just last week, Lake Elsinore's mayor met with President Donald Trump to discuss that city's opposition.

The law was not voted on by the public, but rather signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown on Oct. 5.

Orange County recently passed a resolution in opposition of SB 54, with the supervisors voting to join a U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit filed against California seeking to invalidate the law, which Attorney General Jeff Sessions compared to an act of "secession" from federal jurisdiction. Orange County cities that have passed resolutions backing the lawsuit include Aliso Viejo, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, Los Alamitos, Newport Beach, Orange and San Juan Capistrano.

Murrieta leaders said they are "supportive" of that civil complaint against California, in a press release issued Tuesday.

"Due to the unprecedented inconsistency between the United States Constitution and the state Constitution of California imposed by Senate Bill 54 (SB 54 - De Leon), the Murrieta City Council continues to oppose the removal of collaboration and information sharing between local and federal agencies on important public safety protections," the city said.

Here's more from Murrieta's press release, titled 'City of Murrieta Continues to Oppose Senate Bill 54':

SB 54, also known as the "California Values Act," enacted by the legislature in October 2017, and signed by Governor Jerry Brown, became effective January 1, 2018. This law attempts to place burdensome directives on local law enforcement agencies by prohibiting certain forms of communication and collaboration between federal, state, and local agencies.

"Despite the fact that state officials may not understand local law enforcement operations, local police departments cannot and do not engage in immigration enforcement," said Mayor Jonathan Ingram. "We do, however, have a sworn duty to protect both the United States Constitution and the Constitution of the State of California. SB 54 stands in contradiction to federal law and is simply not sound public policy."

The Murrieta City Council prides itself on providing abundant resources to law enforcement, thus making it one of the safest communities in the country. Therefore, the City opposes any measure that threatens this basic community value and city responsibility.

As an active participant in the legislative process, the City was one of the first to oppose SB 54 by submitting a letter to the bill's author on April 13, 2017, and continued to oppose the measure during the legislative session.

Finally, the City submitted a request to repeal SB 54 to its state representatives on April 3, 2018. Both letters can be found on the City's website at: www.murrietaca.gov/legislation.

Sen. Kevin De Leon, D-Los Angeles, who authored SB 54 and is now running for the U.S. Senate, has been stumping against surging opposition to the bill.

De Leon argued in literature attached to SB 54 that "65-75 percent of all deportations nationwide are the result of collaboration between law enforcement agencies and Immigration Customs Enforcement or Customs and Border Protection," and the practice must be stopped to prevent the "devastating impact deportations have" on undocumented immigrants and their families.

Most components of the legislation were opposed by the California State Sheriffs' Association, which voiced concerns about the ability of law enforcement officers to apprehend criminal immigrant offenders and coordinate with federal agents to ensure that they face prosecution.

SB 54 makes it illegal for county or municipal peace officers to do any of the following:

• ask about an arrestee's immigration status
• honor a federal immigration hold request or detainer, unless it's specifically authorized by a judge
• arrest a person based on a civil immigration warrant
• notify federal authorities about the pending release of a jailed illegal immigrant, with a couple of exceptions based on criminal history
• participate in task forces that target illegal immigrant offenders
• utilize immigration officers as interpreters during local interactions with suspects

SB 54 also mandates that schools, health facilities, libraries and courthouses serve as "safe zones," where undocumented immigrants can come and go without risk of detention.

SB 54 was an expansion of Assembly Bill 4, the so-called "Trust Act" of 2013, which prohibits honoring federal detainer requests, specifically for foreigners arrested or suspected of minor offenses.

— City News Service contributed to this report / Patch file photo by Renee Schiavone