California Passes 'Sanctuary State' Bill SB 54; LAPD Sends Praise, Saying "It Adopts Ma
On Saturday, California lawmakers passed bill SB 54, which has widely come to be known as the 'Sanctuary State Bill' but is officially called the 'California Values Act.' The democratic majority senate passed the bill by a vote of 27-11.
The new law intends to put a limit on communication and sharing of information between local state authorities and federal agencies, such as the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and even the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The Los Angeles Police Department posted a news release on their website today, welcoming the passage of SB 54:
"Los Angeles: The LAPD welcomes the passage of the California Values Act which adopts many of the policies the Department has used over the past forty years to build community trust and reduce violent crime to historic lows.
"The Department appreciates the willingness of Senate Pro-Tem Kevin DeLeon to work with the LAPD and the openness of community advocacy groups to take a balanced approach.
"This protects the public by allowing local police officers to vigorously enforce criminal laws while building trust with the communities that we depend on to apprehend and prosecute violent criminals.
"The bill, which awaits Governor Brown's signature, will allow the Department to continue working with our federal partners to enforce criminal laws while recognizing that our legal jurisdiction does not allow enforcing civil immigration laws and regulations.
" 'SB 54 recognizes what has worked in Los Angeles for nearly four decades,' said LAPD Chief Charlie Beck. 'We have reduced crime by building strong partnerships with our communities, regardless of civil immigration status, so that we can apprehend the criminals who prey on all communities in Los Angeles. We are committed to reducing crime through community partnerships and constitutional policing and SB 54 enables us to continue abiding by these effective principles.' "
Governor Jerry Brown has promised to sign the new law when it reaches his desk.
