California Values Act (SB 54)
Signed into law: October 5, 2017
Governor: Jerry Brown
Status: Active Law (upheld by Ninth Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court declined review)
Why This Bill Protects Immigrant Communities
- Limits state and local resource use: Ensures no state or local resources are used to assist federal immigration enforcement
- Creates safe spaces: Protects schools, hospitals, courthouses, and libraries from immigration enforcement actions
- Prohibits immigration status inquiries: Police and sheriffs cannot ask about immigration status during interactions
- Prevents detention for immigration violations: Cannot arrest individuals solely for deportation orders or immigration violations
- Blocks personal information sharing: Prohibits sharing personal information like home addresses with ICE unless publicly available
- Ends extended detention for ICE: Cannot hold people in jail longer than their release date for immigration agents
- Requires written consent for interviews: Immigration agents cannot interview inmates without written consent
- Protects access to rehabilitation: Immigration status cannot influence classification or access to educational and rehabilitation programs in state prisons
- First statewide sanctuary law upheld against federal challenge: Survived Trump administration lawsuit in federal court
Key Quote
"California has the right to refrain from assisting with federal efforts." — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit