Sacramento, California - Today, Governor Brown signed a series of legislation to protect our state’s hardworking immigrants. This included SB 54, the California Values Act (De León) and AB 291, Hosing Immigration (Chiu), a measure coauthored by Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella).
“Today, Governor Brown affirmed California’s pledge to protect and support the rights and dignity of all residents, including our hardworking immigrants,” stated Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia. “Primarily, The California Values Act will ensure that our police, schools, health facilities, and courts remain safely accessible to all Californians regardless of immigration status while preserving the effective use of our limited local public safety resources."
SB 54 prohibits law enforcement agencies (including school police and security departments) from using resources to investigate, interrogate, detain, detect, or arrest people for immigration enforcement purposes. Restrictions include:
- Inquiring into an individual’s immigration status.
- Detaining a person based on a hold request from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
- Arresting a person based on a civil immigration warrant.
- Participating in 287(g) agreements or any program that deputizes police as immigration agents.
- Participating in border patrol activities, including warrantless searches.
- Using immigration agents as interpreters.
SB 54 will not restrict ICE’s ability to independently enforce immigration law in California; it will simply not impede upon our limited local public safety resources to do so. This bill will not shield those convicted of any of the hundreds serious, often violent crimes listed in the TRUST Act.
Garcia reassured, “This measure will not harbor miscreants but recognizes the distinct difference between criminals and hardworking, law-abiding immigrants. Its provisions will help foster a positive rapport between local public safety officials and residents. All residents, including immigrants should be encouraged to work with law enforcement to help deter and report crime, rather than withhold critical information due to fear of deportation. This is essential to maintaining trust and building vibrant communities.”
The California immigration package signed into law today consisted of eleven measures ranging to address housing, school, workplace and civil protections. Included in this series was a crucial tenant protection bill coauthored by Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia.
AB 291, Hosing Immigration (Chiu/E. Garcia) will protect tenants from deportation threats, intimidation and/or retaliation in their homes.
“Our golden state was built upon the contributions of generations of immigrant populations and they remain an integral component to our thriving economy. Immigrants contribute about $715 billion to our GDP. This legislation will safeguard vital resident rights and protections while ensuring the economic prosperity and wellbeing of our California communities,” concluded Garcia.
