KHTS Radio Santa Clarita Radio – Santa Clarita News
During Tuesday night’s meeting, the Santa Clarita City Council directed that an item be placed on a future agenda to consider joining a federal lawsuit against the state of California over the concept of sanctuary cities.
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At the April 11 meeting of the city council, Councilmember Bob Kellar was supported by his colleagues in introducing an item on a future agenda to discuss formalizing the city’s opposition to The California Values Act, SB 54, as well filing an amicus brief that would show support for Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ federal lawsuit against the state of California.
The agendizing of the item was permitted after city staff presented a report regarding sanctuary status in other cities and counties that Councilmember Cameron Smyth had requested. Last night, Smyth supported the motion to agendize the item formally.
“We have to do something about this constant overreach from Sacramento,” said Smyth during last night’s meeting. “There’s a law being considered that if you’re a waiter and you willingly give a plastic straw to a customer, you can be arrested.”
“However, if you commit a crime and you are arrested for that crime, and you are not in this country legally, you can not be reported to our federal immigration authorities.
Smyth is referencing AB-1884, a bill that was introduced by Assemblymember Ian C. Calderon (D) on January 17, 2018, would have punished those in the food industry who served straws “with a fine of not less than $25 or more than $1,000, or by imprisonment in the county jail for a term not exceeding 6 months, or by both.”
The bill says that food facilities are prohibited from distributing straws “to consumers unless requested by the consumer.”
The controversial “straw tax” bill was shut down in committee after being amended in February to remove all punitive measures from the bill, a distinction that would not restrict the distribution of plastic straws. That bill, designed by Calderon to bring awareness to plastic waste, received backlash from both lawmakers and the public.
Smyth said SB 54, which would declare California a “sanctuary state,” does prevent local law enforcement agencies from notifying immigration agencies about a suspect in custody.
However, supporters of the bill, including local law enforcement agency officials, also note that this bill assists law enforcement because it protects those individuals, allowing them to come forward as a witnesses of a crime without being fearful of deportation over immigration status.
“We can move beyond the bill’s early false premise that local law enforcement was going to act as immigration agents,” said Los Angeles County Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell. “Public safety is our mission (and that) requires that people come forward if they are a crime victim or be willing to come forth as a witness to a crime without fear of being deported.”
“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,” said LAPD Chief Charlie Beck. “We are committed to reducing crime through community partnerships and constitutional policing and SB 54 enables us to continue abiding by these effective principles.”
To address some of the concerns poised by opponents of the bill, including McDonnell, legislators added amendments that would require the state parole board or state corrections department to give the FBI a 60-day advance notice of the release date of inmates with violent convictions who are in the U.S. illegally.
Sheriff’s officials also would be able to provide the FBI with the scheduled release date of anyone confined in county jail for a misdemeanor offense who also has a violent felony conviction.
The target date for the city council to consider opposition to SB 54 and possibly formalize their support for the federal lawsuit against California is May 8.
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Opposing sanctuary city status is a racist slap in the face of immigrants, most of whom want nothing more than the better lives that our parents and grandparents sought when they arrived in this country. Our cities evolve and improve only through absorbing a mix of the vibrant and diverse cultures that immigrants bring with them. I like Valencia, but I’ll move if the City Council follows through with this heartbreaking plan. I would not want to support it in any way, even passively, by living and shopping here.
Louise Farr you are welcome to move out of Santa Clarita if enforcing our laws and deporting CRIMINAL illegal aliens is against your personal values. Criminals, both legal and illegal, prey on innocent people within our communities and the full weight of our laws must be brought to bear to protect OUR safety and that includes deporting those unlawfully present in the USA.
It’s certainly ok if you vote with you feet over this issue. We probably disagree on just about everything but leaving to make a point would find us both in harmony.
The law California should have passed is one that protects the innocent victims of crimes and/or the witnesses that come forward from being turned over to ICE. Leaving the criminal illegal aliens outside of such ridiculous protection. I still would have disagreed with a law like that. All illegal aliens are here illegally, but it would be in some sense moral so I would not lift a finger against it.
Louise. Is someone stopping you? Every day an illegal immigrant is in this country is a day they are breaking the law. If they want a better life, then I would suggest they migrate the right way.
Louis Farr…you speak of immigration rather than illegal immigration. There is a great difference in the two, and although you may think that your lack of the use of the word “illegal” makes your statement legitimate, that is not so. Lets be real. This has nothing to do with immigration. I am the child of legal immigrants. The non-acceptance of SB54 does not slap immigrants in the face as you state. The acceptance of SB54 IS a slap in the face to traditional, legal immigrants. My family, like many others, came to this country legally. They followed the federal laws of a country they wanted to be part of 100%. If these ILLEGAL immigrants really want to better themselves and their lifestyle, then come legally. Accept the country laws 100%. I am all for immigration. I am NOT for illegal immigration. A true immigrant comes the way of the law; the way of the country; and they accept and assimilate to the country they are hoping to be part of.
Good for you City Council, true Patriots! For anybody who opposes strengthened borders and enforcement of our country’s sovereignty, I’d challenge you to go ahead and leave your front doors unlocked tonight, nay, remove your front doors completely from now on. Let us know how that goes for you, especially now in this sanctuary state of ours.
If deportations were limited to criminals, I’d understand. But I worry about families being wrenched apart and non-criminals being caught up in the process.
That is precisely why ICE needs to pick up criminals at the jails not in neighborhoods.
This city has no jail. Therefore we get no “holds” from ICE to ignore. Bad actors who prey on undocumented populations take advantage of their victims’ fear of “migre” being tipped-off by local cops.
Dreamers, btw, have legal status. They registered and report to ICE. We were taught to comfort refugees in Sunday School.
We were also taught at Sunday school to not steal , cheat, lie or commit crimes. Most importantly to follow the rules.
A criminal illegal has cheated the federal laws, lied about their status and how they got here, committed a crime by not requesting a visa or registering with the INS office for legal residency, committed another crime that landed them in jail, and basically not followed the rules. Not a great example for Sunday school.
Sunday school also teaches you that doing things the right way is always the better choice …
And sb54 is not about dreamers. Dreamers can’t have a criminal background. If they commit a crime they are no longer protected under the dreamers act and can face deportation. A great incentive to stay on the righteous path… and common sense rules.
We are talking here about people who were caught doing criminal acts and that were then put in jail. People who should not even have been here to commit those crimes in the first place. And then our governor telling us we need to put them back in the streets and not have them deal with the INS and ICE as the federal laws intended.
That’s what sb54 is about – not the dreamers who must follow the rules. And for that matter not Sunday school either.
I strongly support opposition to sanctuary city status. We should be a nation of laws in order to avoid chaos. ICE only seeks those who have committed crimes.
Being in this country “illegally” is a crime.
I hope they vote against staying a sanctuary city.
There is no reason for sb54. Getting ICE involved Is already a federal law.
Illegals are commiting a federal crime by being here.
To allow for illegals to commit crimes and to opt out of ICE jurisdiction is pure stupidity. What do you say to those who are legal and face deportation for commiting crimes as per their visa rules ?
Why would illegals not have the same punishment when commiting crimes – as those who are legal ?
Are we seriously sending the message that those who are legal and follow the rules do not deserve kudos? Those who come here illegally and commit crimes meanwhile get rewarded? And those who are legal and commit crimes get deported without a tear shed from us ?
At the next INS visit or application these legal immigrants go to, their criminal record will show up and they will face deportation – and have some serious explanation to do…
Illegals won’t get to go to immigration office to fill out their paperwork ( ie visa requests) – since they don’t have valid visas – so they will be clear and free – once again…
What makes illegal better than legal immigrants that they do not need to follow our laws ?
Sb54 needs to be repealed. Common sense needs to be Re-established as well as law and order.
Let’s face it.
Illegals have children 4 to 1 over American citizens.
That said , that is 4 more Democrat voters that is turning
California Into a third world cesspool .