June 15, 2020
Los Angeles, CA — Today the Supreme Court declined to hear U.S. v California, the Trump administration’s challenge to SB 54, the California Values Act, a bill passed to end resource sharing between local police and sheriff departments and federal immigration enforcement. With this decision, the California Values Act, often referred to as the state’s “sanctuary bill,” upholds the Ninth Circuit’s decision to maintain the bill as was affirmed in previous decisions.
This morning’s decision is a victory for all communities in California who now have an additional, powerful defense against the Trump administration’s cruel and racist agenda to scapegoat and harm immigrants. With this move, the Supreme Court recognized the state government’s authority over local resources and reinforced the 10th amendment’s proposition that states should not be conscripted to carry out the federal government’s bidding.
In response to today’s decision, Almas Sayeed, Deputy Director of Programs at the California Immigrant Policy Center—an Immigrant Rights leader that led the fight to write, defend and support implementation of the bill—said:
“The California Values Act aims to decrease California’s support of federal immigration enforcement by ending information and resource sharing and support of federal arrests between ICE and local law enforcement. Despite California’s strong clap back against federal immigration enforcement, ICE continues to wreak havoc on immigrant communities through arrest, deportation and removals. This has only worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Immigration detention centers have no means of observing social distancing or CDC regulations. As a result, those in detention have been exposed to the virus, inhumanely sprayed with disinfectant, and several have contracted the virus and died from it. It is inhumane and cruel. We continue to call on Governor Newsom to end ICE transfers.
Today’s decision also comes at a pivotal moment in our country’s history in which a national movement led by Black advocates to defund the police and end racist violence against communities of color has gripped the nation. As an immigrant justice organization, we know the importance of ending this violence and ending state support of the continued criminalization of communities of color by the federal government. Black immigrants are significantly more vulnerable to ICE arrest and deportation. These systems continue to harm and criminalize communities. We stand in support of every effort to end these systems of violence.
At CIPC, we are committed to investing in communities through increased funding and support for healthcare, worker protection and community well-being in order to ensure all communities can thrive.”
###