San Clemente to Consider Joining Lawsuit Against State Sanctuary Law

San Clemente could beryllium different Orange County metropolis to situation California’s sanctuary laws successful tribunal — echoing the wave of OC cities jumping connected a similar, but unsuccessful, suit successful 2018.

At Tuesday’s metropolis assembly meeting, San Clemente elected officials are slated to sermon joining Huntington Beach’s precocious filed suit against the Golden State.

Huntington Beach leaders are suing California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta, challenging authorities sanctuary laws that bounds section instrumentality enforcement from moving with migration officials. 

The national suit is focused connected a instrumentality known arsenic the California Values Act, besides called SB 54, which limits authorities and section instrumentality enforcement from cooperating with national migration officials by honoring Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer requests, which could clasp a idiosyncratic who’s astir to beryllium released from jailhouse for up to 48 hours truthful ICE agents tin prime them up. 

[Read: Huntington Beach Sues California Over Sanctuary Laws]

The sanctuary law besides bars constabulary agencies from honoring ICE detainer requests unless that person’s been convicted of a convulsive oregon superior felony.

If San Clemente joins the lawsuit, it’s expected to outgo the metropolis little than $100,000, according to the unit report.

One of the main differences betwixt the 2 cities is the mode they connection constabulary services. Huntington Beach has its ain constabulary department, portion San Clemente does not.

“Even if a suit is successful, enforcement of the instrumentality successful San Clemente volition beryllium highly babelike connected the policies of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department who provides constabulary services to the City,” reads the unit report. “If Orange County decides to stay accordant with the policies established successful SB 54, determination could beryllium a deficiency of enforcement successful San Clemente.” 

Last week, Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes released a statement astir the limitations of the state’s sanctuary law.

“Sheriffs are constricted nether California Senate Bill 54 to lone pass with ICE regarding the merchandise of transgression offenders from our custody facilities nether precise constricted circumstances,” Barnes stated. “I person chosen to cooperate with ICE to the fullest grade provided by the instrumentality successful bid to forestall superior offenders from returning to the communities they person preyed upon.” 

During the aforesaid meeting, assembly members are besides expected to sermon the summation of unlicensed “panga” boats coming ashore successful the city, which are often utilized to transport radical into the country. 

According to the unit report, determination has been an summation successful the fig of these unlicensed h2o vessels coming ashore successful San Clemente successful caller months.

Staff is recommending that the metropolis spot interaction accusation for Customs and Border Patrol connected the city’s website for residents to interaction if they observe a panga vessel connected the formation successful San Clemente.

The discussions travel arsenic President Donald Trump has promised a renewed crackdown connected borderline crossings. 

At the aforesaid time, Sana Ana could beryllium connected way to fortify migrant protections successful the bulk Latino city.

[Read: Santa Ana Looks to Boost Immigrant Protections Amid Federal Crackdown]

The San Clemente City Council gathering begins astatine 4:30 p.m. Tuesday for closed session. The regular gathering is expected to commencement astatine 5:30 p.m.

Angelina Hicks is simply a Voice of OC Tracy Wood Reporting Fellow. Contact her astatine ahicks@voiceofoc.org oregon connected Twitter @angelinahicks13.

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