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An attempt to overturn the Sanctuary law that prohibits local police from notifying the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE) of the release of an undocumented immigrant from their prisons, was defeated in the Committee of Public Security in the Assembly.
Measure AB 2000 received 5 votes against the Democrats and two for the Republicans.
“The recent mass murder in a church a few miles from the Capitol, it might not have happened if it weren’t for the Sanctuary Act, but today the legislature decided to keep this disastrous law in place,” said Kevin Kiley, Republican Assemblyman from Rocklin, Northern California, upon learning that his bill of law AB 1708, had not had the necessary votes to move forward in the legislative process.
“If this heinous crime is not a call attention to our politicians, I don’t know what rá”.
Assemblyman Kiley had introduced this bill in March, after the 22 from February, David Mora from 10 Years ago, an undocumented man shot and killed his three daughters and their chaperone – a social worker – at a Sacramento church; and then took his own life.
Only days before, the gunman had been arrested on charges of assaulting a police officer, for resisting to arrest and driving while intoxicated.
ICE had asked to be notified when he was released from jail, but this never happened due to the prohibitions imposed by the Sanctuary Law.
Kiley’s bill would have required a police officer to cooperate with immigration agents to hand over to a detainee upon release, when requested.
This law prohibits, without exception, local police from sharing information regarding to the release of undocumented immigrants from jail.
In opposition to this measure, the California Sheriffs Association stated that its general concern lies in which the Sanctuary law limits the ability of the police to communicate and cooperate with federal police officers, which endangers public safety.
They indicated in a statement that the SB 33 makes it impossible for their jail staff to notify ICE, when they request it, about the release of certain wanted undocumented criminals.
This includes but is not limited to drunk and hit-and-run drivers, police assaulters, serial thieves, animal abusers, chronic drug addicts, dangerous drugs like heroin and methamphetamine, and criminal gang members arrested for petty crimes.
On March 5, Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones blamed federal immigration policies and the Sanctuary Law on Facebook for the murder of minors on their father’s side.
“Because of California Sanctuary laws, the jail is prohibited from contacting ICE or accepting a request to hold an imprisoned immigrant, so he can be a free man with all the freedom to kill 4 people the next day”.
Al Except for this year, the bill that sought to eliminate the Sanctuary Law has died legislatively; but it is possible that Kiley will introduce it again in 2023.
When the measure was introduced in March, Grisel Ruiz of the Center for Legal Resources for Immigrants, said that the immigration status of David Mora, the father who murdered his daughters, had nothing to do with the crime, and that domestic violence and gun control seemed to be the main problem. As a consequence, this bill was just a scapegoat.