State pokes stick in the eye of Sessions, Trump, and their neo-nativist supporters

by Brian Leubitz

Governor Brown doesn’t mind confronting the federal government. He’s shown that particularly in the climate change arena as he has become the de facto American leader taking on that global crisis. However, he also likes to tread carefully.

And that was his hangup about Senator Kevin de Leon’s sanctuary bill, SB 54. And yesterday, the governor apparently got the changes he felt were necessary:

The amendments would give law enforcement agencies more discretion to notify federal immigration officials about convicted offenders in their custody and to transfer those offenders to immigration authorities.

The bill would still allow federal immigration officials to interview those in custody, though it will not permit those officials to maintain permanent office space in state prisons or local jails.

“This bill protects public safety and people who come to California to work hard and make this state a better place,” Brown said in a statement.(The Hill 9/12/17)

The changes also helped ease some of the opposition from law enforcement leaders that had been troubling to the governor’s office. And now, I suppose the ball is in the court of AG Sessions to get all mad and storm off with whatever block grants to the state aren’t glued down to the floor.

The agreement is getting praise from other state leaders as well.

“From the moment Donald Trump won the White House, California Democrats have been tirelessly working to protect and shield undocumented Californians from the federal Government,” said California Democratic Party Chair Eric Bauman.

“One of the cornerstones of that effort is SB 54 by Senator Kevin de Leon, and California Democrats are deeply grateful that he and Governor Brown have reached agreement on final language that ensures California’s law enforcement agencies are not used as instruments of federal immigration enforcement. Californians welcome our undocumented brothers and sisters, and the use of California’s peace officers against our own brothers and sisters would have been unconscionable and dangerously corrosive to the trust law enforcement needs from the community to keep Californians safe. This is a powerful message of inclusion and reassurance to Undocumented Californians, and I urge the Legislature to approve this bill as swiftly as possible.”