California legislature votes to become sanctuary state

For a xenophobic authoritarian like Donald Trump, the existence of sanctuary cities that refuse to kowtow to his anti-immigration policies must be maddening, especially with last week’s ruling by a federal court in Chicago that he can’t withhold funds to force their compliance. But if sanctuary cities are irritating, I can only imagine – with visions of exploding heads – how he’ll take the news that California is poised to become a sanctuary state:

California is poised to become a so-called "sanctuary state" after its legislature passed a bill Saturday that would establish new protections for people who are in the country illegally, sending a clear signal of defiance against the Trump administration's tough approach to immigration enforcement.

The California Values Act would forbid state and local law enforcement agencies from providing information to or acting as the deputies for federal immigration authorities. The bill also prohibits police and sheriff officers from inquiring about a person's immigration status.

The bill was introduced just before President Trump's inauguration and met opposition from some in California law enforcement, including many local sheriffs who lobbied California Gov. Jerry Brown to intervene, as KQED's Scott Shafer reported.

A compromise hammered out earlier this week between Brown and California Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León carved out exceptions to the new restrictions.

[…]

The bill now heads to the governor's desk where he is expected to sign it.

An estimated 2.3 million undocumented immigrants currently live in California. The state legislature just ensured they can’t be targeted simply for lacking some government papers, regardless of their other activities. Damn good on the Democratic supermajorities for taking steps to protect the most vulnerable of their citizens. The outraged howling of Republicans that’s sure to come, not to mention Trump’s inevitable Twitter meltdown, will just be the cherry on top.

(via @fark)