Santa Clarita is poised to become the first Los Angeles city to join the resistance to California's immigration laws. The city council voted 5-0 Tuesday night authorizing an amicus brief against the state's so-called sanctuary law, supporting the lawsuit filed by the Trump administration.
Several other municipalities, mostly in Orange County, have joined together to challenge the SB 54, which went into effect on Jan 1st.
Supporters wore red "Make America Great Again" hats as they packed the council's chambers Tuesday night. As many as 200 people signed up to speak to the council and let them know their thoughts. Many of them claimed that SB 54 would promote criminality, while others argued the opposite, saying that the law that limited cooperation by local law enforcement allows officers to develop trust with immigrant communities.
Protesters opposed to the resolution chanted outside the City Council chambers "No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here.''
Los Alamitos became the first city to oppose SB 54, voting in March to opt-out of the law. At the same time, Orange County joined the federal lawsuit filed by Jeff Sessions and the Justice Department against California. Huntington Beach is another city that has joined in, suing the state in state court.
The Council's vote on the measure is mostly symbolic. Santa Clarita partners with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for law enforcement and their officers must follow that department's policies, including those on immigration.
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