Huntington Beach is the latest to take on California’s ‘sanctuary city’ laws

Two Huntington Beach city councilmen said they want to follow the lead of Los Alamitos and other cities in an effort to “seek relief” from state mandates that expand protections for undocumented immigrants.

Mayor Mike Posey said in a statement that he and Councilman Erik Peterson want Surf City to discuss Sacramento’s so-called “sanctuary state” bills, such as Senate Bill 54, Assembly Bill 450 and AB 103, at Monday’s council meeting.

Posey, who witnessed SB 54’s passing in Sacramento last year, called such policies an open violation of federal immigration laws.

In a news release, he said they “all represent a threat to public safety.”

“In order for the city to maintain our superior record of public safety, we have been exploring options to ensure your safety and maintain local control, while at the same time, fulfill our oath of upholding the Constitution,” he said.

How O.C. became a center of resistance to California’s ‘sanctuary state’ legislation »

State Senate leader Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles), who wrote SB 54, warned cities going against the state’s sanctuary laws.

“Pushing a racist and anti-immigrant agenda devoid of facts or supporting legal analysis is a pretty sad use of taxpayer resources, especially when it could result in crippling legal costs for cities that rush to join this dead-end effort,” he said in a written statement.

Huntington Beach’s pending discussion comes as talks pushing against the sanctuary laws mount throughout Orange County.

Earlier this month, the Los Alamitos City Council passed its own opt-out ordinance. Yorba Linda, Buena Park and Mission Viejo also have had talks.

And on Tuesday, the Orange County Board of Supervisors voted to join a federal lawsuit fighting the matter.

The Trump administration has argued that California’s sanctuary state policies blatantly obstruct federal immigration authorities and violate the Constitution’s supremacy clause giving federal law precedence over a state’s. The case is pending.

Zint writes for Times Community News.