The Los Alamitos City Council gave its final approval last night to an ordinance that would opt the city out of following California's so-called Sanctuary State law, SB 54.
The 4-1 vote followed some five hours of acrimonious testimony after the ordinance was originally approved on March 19th. Los Alamitos police will not have to follow the California Values Act, which limits how local law enforcement can assist federal immigration agents.
The only Councilman to vote against final approval of the ordinance was Councilman Mark Chirco, an attorney who said the city's new law was uncessary, flawed, divisive and ineffective.
“When was the last time there was an (immigration) raid in our city?” he asked the police chief during Monday's meeting.
The ACLU says they plan on filing a lawsuit against the city so that the courts can determine whether or not the ordinance is legal.
The new law sparked a wave of resitance from cities across Southern California. At least nine other Orange County cities, alongside the county's Board of Supervisors, have passed similar resolutions, or said they support the Justice Department's lawsuit by the Trump administration against SB 54 and other so-called sanctuary laws.
The San Diego Board of Supervisors say they plan on considering a similar ordinance at their meeting later this month.
Los Alamitos is the only city so far in California to pass an official ordinance.
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