Saturday, May 22, 2010

California city councils may want to first read California immigration laws

In an orgy of self-congratulatory back-patting, the city councils of California's major metropolises either already have implemented, or are considering, a boycott of the state of Arizona in response to Arizona's passage of SB 1070, which enforces the federal immigration laws that the federal government refuses to enforce in that state.

The legislative bodies of the California cities of Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, and my very own Sacramento have all come forward with either condemnations and/or calls to boycott the state of Arizona over Arizona's law that addresses the issue of illegal immigration. Apparently, these city councils didn't think to check what California state law has to say on the same subject.

With a very large tip of my hat to fellow blogger Darren, of RightOnTheLeftCoast, I direct you to California Penal Code Section 834b. Read it and weep:
834b. (a) Every law enforcement agency in California shall fully
cooperate with the United States Immigration and Naturalization
Service regarding any person who is arrested if he or she is
suspected of being present in the United States in violation of
federal immigration laws.
(b) With respect to any such person who is arrested, and suspected
of being present in the United States in violation of federal
immigration laws, every law enforcement agency shall do the
following:
(1) Attempt to verify the legal status of such person as a citizen
of the United States, an alien lawfully admitted as a permanent
resident, an alien lawfully admitted for a temporary period of time
or as an alien who is present in the United States in violation of
immigration laws. The verification process may include, but shall not
be limited to, questioning the person regarding his or her date and
place of birth, and entry into the United States, and demanding
documentation to indicate his or her legal status.
(2) Notify the person of his or her apparent status as an alien
who is present in the United States in violation of federal
immigration laws and inform him or her that, apart from any criminal
justice proceedings, he or she must either obtain legal status or
leave the United States.
(3) Notify the Attorney General of California and the United
States Immigration and Naturalization Service of the apparent illegal
status and provide any additional information that may be requested
by any other public entity.
(c) Any legislative, administrative, or other action by a city,
county, or other legally authorized local governmental entity with
jurisdictional boundaries, or by a law enforcement agency, to prevent
or limit the cooperation required by subdivision (a) is expressly
prohibited.
I think it would be a great idea to send a copy of this law to the city councils of Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, and Sacramento, along with a letter urging them to boycott not only the state of California, but also themselves, since they are a part of this state. And no, claiming sanctuary city status is not an out, for according to Penal Code section 834b(3)(c) above, no sanctuary cities are allowed to exist within California.

Start writing folks. I promise I will.

"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free... it expects what never was, and never will be." -Thomas Jefferson

1 comment:

Darren said...

And we thank you for your support :)