Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office sent a letter Friday requesting that the Trump administration remove California from its list of sanctuary jurisdictions that block federal immigration law enforcement.
This week, the Department of Homeland Security issued a signature signed in April, directing President Trump to identify funds for sanctuary cities, counties, and states that could be suspended or terminated.
In the letter, Newsom’s office alleged that the federal court ruling refused to argue that California law would limit law enforcement coordination with immigration authorities.
“This list is another gimmick. Even the Trump administration has acknowledged that California law does not prevent the federal government from doing its job,” Newsmu said in a statement. “Most immigrants are hardworking taxpayers and are part of American families. When we report crime safely, we are all safe.”
California is one of more than half a dozen states that were included in the list for self-identification as a sanctuary for immigrants without proper documentation. 48 California counties and dozens of cities, including Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Diego and San Francisco, were also listed by the Trump administration in a total of over 500 jurisdictions across the country.
The state strengthened its sanctuary policy after Trump took office for the first time. State officials then sought to balance preventing local law enforcement resources from being used and otherwise rounding up law-compliant immigrants without hindering the federal government’s ability to enforce laws within the state.
For example, local police cannot arrest someone on a deportation order alone or hug someone in extra time to transfer them to immigration authorities. However, state law allows local governments to work with U.S. immigration and customs enforcement agencies if they are convicted of a felony or a certain misdemeanor within a certain time frame. The restrictions do not apply to state prison officials who can coordinate with federal authorities.
The law was thorny on the part of the Trump administration’s campaign to strengthen deportation, and the president threw it as an effort to remove the country despite targeting immigrants without prior convictions.
In a release of the list, DHS Director Christa Noem said politicians in the sanctuary community are “puting Americans and our law enforcement in order to protect violent crime illegal aliens.”
“We are embracing criminally illegal aliens and exposing these sanctuary politicians who are against federal law,” Noem said. “President Trump and I will always put the safety of the American people first. Sanctuary politicians are notifying us. We will follow federal law.”
The Trump administration’s claim that California’s sanctuary policies protect criminals from deportation looks like Newsom’s Ilek Newsom, who has repeatedly denied the allegations. Trump’s threat to withhold federal dollars could pose a challenge for governors to offer billions of dollars cuts to state programs, setting a challenge to offset the state’s fiscal deficits in the future.
Homeland Security said it would require that jurisdictions receive formal notices of violations of federal law and that cities, counties and states immediately modify their policies.
