SB54 Requires Law Enforcement to Stand Down in Face of Law Breakers
by Christy Lozano
SB 54, also known as the California Values Act, is a state law that prohibits California state and local law enforcement from assisting in federal immigration enforcement, with limited exceptions. Enacted in 2017, the law aims to protect the public safety trust between immigrant communities and local agencies by limiting entanglement with immigration enforcement. Key provisions include preventing the use of state resources to investigate, detain, or arrest individuals for immigration purposes and restricting cooperation with federal immigration agencies.
The following are some of SB54’s requirements and mandates:
Both state and local law enforcement are prohibited from using their resources (money or personnel) to investigate, interrogate, detain, detect, or arrest individuals for immigration enforcement. State agencies are prohibited from providing information about a person's release date or respond to notification requests unless that information is publicly available.
State and local governments cannot enter into new contracts to house or detain noncitizens in detention facilities for purposes of immigration custody.
State and local agencies are barred from participating in joint law enforcement task forces primarily focused on immigration enforcement.
Immigration agents cannot interview inmates in prison without written consent, and an inmate’s immigration status cannot influence an inmate's classification or access to programs.
Law enforcement cannot ask for an individual's immigration status.
Here’s what SB54 really does:
SB 54 erodes transparency and prevents Sheriff Bill Brown from helping Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. Many complain that Sheriff Brown is being “silent.” He can’t do much due to the restriction imposed by SB54. Here are three reasons why:
ICE performs big sweeps rather than target individuals in smaller and less obvious actions because they can’t communicate with local authorities due to SB54. The Sheriff's hands are tied to being a liaison on the local level. ICE comes in full force because agents can’t call local authorities if there is an incident. If local authorities could assist, ICE would come in smaller numbers.
The Truth Act – before SB54 – requires that the Sheriff report interactions about people in custody with Federal Immigration Authorities. SB54 now prevents that from taking place.
When there is an investigation, like Glass House, the Sheriff must be on scene for public safety support. The Sheriff’s presence would legitimize searches and provide transparency.
Politicians such as Gavin Newsom, Salud Carbajal, Hart, Limon, etc., don’t want the public to understand that their support of SB54 (as opposed to the Truth Act) undermines the “de-escalation” of ICE and uses Sheriff Brown as a “scapegoat.” The above-named politicians and many others are responsible for the seeming “chaos” we have in dealing with immigration.
What is the Purpose of the Chaos?
If things remain in chaos, they distract people from what is really going on. And what is going on? Santa Barbara County City Councils have given away $610,000 taxpayer dollars (Goleta City Council gave $100,000, Santa Barbara City Council gave $500,000, and Carpinteria City Council gave $10,000) to nonprofits such as, 805undocufund and Immigrant Legal Defense Center. The problem with organizations like these is they are using Santa Barbara County citizens' hard earned taxpayer dollars to pay for people who did not go through proper channels to enter the USA.
Additionally, the NGOs receiving these monies do the bare minimum to help immigrants: most of that money pays high administrative salaries and gets recycled into political campaign funds. That is why politicians in Santa Barbara County push so hard to “protect” those who are here illegally or have overstayed their visas.
Citizens of Santa Barbara are being manipulated because of their empathy and big generous hearts. This needs to stop because, like a dysfunctional, unhealthy relationship, we are enabling our elected leaders and local non-profits to abuse taxpaying citizens, as well as using the non-profit system to fund criminal behavior.
If these people are allowed to strong arm our elected Sheriff into supporting this atrocity, we will be in worse trouble than we can imagine. We need to take a stand and revolt against this deception; we can start now by using our voices and our pens to negate their actions.
Along with pushing back against the empowerment of NGOs, non-profits, and the legal teams enriched by SB54, the first – and best – thing one can do is vote differently in the next election cycle.
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The California Values Act (SB54) has been upheld by the Ninth Circuit as not conflicting with federal law and not violating the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The U.S. Supreme Court has yet to weigh in on the act.
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It was interesting that the SB Council funneled hundreds of thousands of taxpayer money into the fund for Santa Barbara.
Established years ago it is listed as a c.3 group and has given money to one side of the political spectrum. A c.3 group that has never received one penny of government money (taxpayer money) has twice approached them for funding to research and confirm government statements of how and why city or board of supervisors actions / money was/is spent. The answer both times was "It is doubtful you would get any money from us." It is interesting that supposed environmental groups, we are active for the downtrodden groups, and we need 15 minute city groups when it comes to election time are out in force acting as PAC's (political action).
As the author points out many of these supposed non-partisan groups use substantial amounts of their grants to pay for and support directors, worker bees, with little being passed down to the great unwashed.
Love this quote "Citizens of Santa Barbara are being manipulated .....""" Ya think?
Another quote "can’t communicate with local authorities due to SB54..." Uhhh and how do you think there will ever be community safe from scofflaws and down right major crimes types? A ms-13 type who has multiple complaints for spousal abuse, has been connected with smuggling illegals was just released in another state because of the same type of law as SB54.
The open borders crowd do not want vetting and tracking of those entering the good 'ol USA or the State of Calif. It is clear with the issue the House of Representatives there needs to be another amendment keeping the population distribution to US Citizens. That will solve many of these problems.
Christy well done. Now how does the other side put the toothpast back in the tube?
Those of us who are California natives and live in a nostalgic fantasy about the Golden State watch these travesties of justice and wonder how it ever came to this.