Orange County To Fight California's 'Sanctuary Law'

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — Orange County became the first county in the state to join of U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions' lawsuit challenging California's controversial law prohibiting officials from cooperating with immigration authorities to deport undocumented immigrants Tuesday. The Orange County Board of Supervisors voted to file an amicus brief supporting the federal government's challenge.

Federal officials argue that California's so-called sanctuary law is unconstitutional. Already, the Orange County Sheriff's Department has found ways to work around the law. The department announced Monday that it will make public information the dates inmates are to be released from custody, information that will help immigration officials looking to deport immigrants detained at the Orange County jail.

Orange County has become the conservative epicenter of the rebellion against the California Values Act, which limits the resources state and local officials can devote to cooperating with federal immigration authorities. The rebellion began last week with one of Orange County's smallest cities. The Los Alamitos City Council voted to opt out of the law and voted to join the federal lawsuit challenging it.

State Senate leader Kevin de León issued a warning to municipalities looking to buck the state.

"Pushing a racist and anti-immigrant agenda devoid of facts or supporting legal analysis is a pretty sad use of taxpayer resources, especially when it could result in crippling legal costs for cities that rush to join this dead-end effort," he said.

Orange County Supervisor Michelle Steel had proposed a resolution condemning the state law, prompting Supervisor Shawn Nelson to propose joining Sessions' lawsuit. Nelson has long criticized resolutions as being relatively toothless and often not having anything to do with county business.

Several residents spoke in support of the county opposing the state law, but multiple others called Sessions' lawsuit "racist" and "divisive."

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Huntington Beach, implored the county to oppose the state law.

"By making us a sanctuary city and state, we're doing nothing more than attracting millions more people to come to this country and to consume the very wealth that is necessary for our quality of life," Rohrabacher said. He added "this flow of illegals" has "brought down our quality of education," as well as healthcare and housing.

"Millions of people come here to get their benefits," Rohrabacher said. "If we don't act rationally, we are hurting everybody."

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City News Service contributed to this report. Photo courtesy of ICE