SouthernWorldwide.com – A mayor in California has announced a lawsuit against the state’s Attorney General, Rob Bonta, over sanctuary laws that he claims prevent police from protecting children at risk.
The mayor, whose city is El Cajon, stated that this legal action might be one of the most significant official acts of his career.
The situation arose when the federal Department of Homeland Security provided El Cajon with a list of children potentially living in unsafe conditions with undocumented adults. Given the high prevalence of human trafficking in the region, the city was deeply concerned for these children’s welfare.
El Cajon police inquired with the Attorney General’s office about conducting welfare checks on these vulnerable children. The response was essentially a prohibition, stating that such checks would violate Senate Bill 54, California’s sanctuary law, if they exposed the addresses of undocumented individuals.
The mayor expressed disbelief that a city of 110,000 people could be told its police officers could not check on endangered children due to concerns about revealing the locations of undocumented aliens.
He characterized this as the opposite of public safety, calling it a “moral collapse.”
The mayor, representing a working-class border city, highlighted that his constituents are hardworking individuals who pay taxes and expect their elected officials to uphold the law. He argued that when the state prevents police cooperation with federal authorities to protect children, it should alarm every parent in California.
California’s sanctuary laws, he explained, prohibit local police from collaborating with federal immigration enforcement. Furthermore, the state provides driver’s licenses, in-state college tuition, and disability benefits to individuals residing in the country unlawfully, actions that state government websites apparently boast about.
The mayor pointed out that federal law criminalizes encouraging or inducing someone to reside in the country unlawfully, and he believes California is actively doing just that.
The lawsuit, filed by the America First Policy Institute, aims to resolve a fundamental question: which law takes precedence, federal or state law? He referenced the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution, established in 1788, as the bedrock of the country and asserted that it is not merely a suggestion.
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While other cities have attempted to challenge similar outcomes through different legal avenues, and one such attempt by Huntington Beach resulted in a loss in federal court, El Cajon’s case is distinct. The lawsuit does not focus on state resources or funding but argues that California’s entire sanctuary framework—including licenses, tuition, and benefits—is designed to encourage illegal residence, thus violating federal criminal law.
This specific argument, the mayor contended, has not yet been tested in court and deserves a thorough examination.
He anticipates a protracted and challenging legal battle, stating that if California’s state courts do not resolve the issue, they are fully prepared to pursue the case all the way to the United States Supreme Court, emphasizing the critical importance of addressing this legal question.
Attorney General Bonta has reportedly dismissed the lawsuit as a baseless attack and claimed that SB 54 enhances the safety of Californians.
The mayor countered by urging Bonta to consider the children endangered by this law.
He framed the issue not as a partisan matter but as one concerning the rule of law. He argued that when a state offers benefits specifically to attract individuals to cross the border illegally, and when police officers face a daily dilemma of potentially breaking either federal or state law, something is fundamentally wrong.
Despite El Cajon being a small city without the political clout or financial resources of Sacramento, the mayor highlighted that they have a City Council committed to federal immigration law, a supportive community, and a Constitution that still holds its intended meaning.
The “American Dream,” he asserted, is not about sanctuary policies but about the promise of living under a single set of laws applied fairly to everyone. This promise, he concluded, is worth defending, and that is precisely what they are doing.
The mayor stated that California’s leaders made a choice to prioritize their political agenda over the safety of their police, residents, and vulnerable children. In contrast, El Cajon made a different choice in a San Diego County courtroom, choosing to uphold the law.
