Defiant California Legislature fast-tracks sanctuary state bills
SACRAMENTO — As President Trump threatens to strip federal funding from so-called “sanctuary cities,” defiant Democrats in Sacramento are doubling down on policies to protect immigrants at risk of deportation — bills that many say would turn California into a sanctuary state.
One would prohibit police officers from collecting information on a person’s immigration status or from responding to certain requests from federal agents. Others would use taxpayer-funded legal aid to help people in deportation proceedings and train defense attorneys on immigration law.
The fast-tracked proposals — set for hearings Tuesday — have become a key tactic in California’s resistance against the Trump administration’s policies on immigration. They have drawn plaudits from immigration advocates and criticism from opponents who say they tie the hands of local police and risk further alienating Washington.
“If we’re getting $100 billion in federal funding, $85 billion of which goes to local communities, who is Sacramento to jeopardize that funding for our local communities?” said Sen. John Moorlach, a Republican representing Orange County. “That’s playing chicken with somebody else’s money.”
Read more: http://www.eastbaytimes.com/2017/01/30/a-defiant-california-legislature-fast-tracks-sanctuary-state-bills/
