CALIFORNIA Moves to protect Illegals from Deportation

Police in California would be prohibited from helping deport some illegal immigrants under a bill being considered by Gov. Jerry Brown, in a proposed change some say would violate federal law. 

The so-called Trust Act would bar police from cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers on a variety of cases. Proponents say the bill is narrowly focused and only applies to those illegal immigrants arrested for minor crimes. 

Prosecutors and sheriffs disagree.

"If you or I were victimized by someone stealing our identity, selling drugs in our community, burglarizing our home or embezzling our money, that's okay? That's a minor crime under this bill," complained Marin County Sheriff Robert Doyle. "If this law passes, we will not be able to put holds on people who have previously been deported. So someone could be deported one, two, three, four -- 10 times and that would not be cause for us to put a hold on them." 

The California District Attorneys Association and the California Sheriffs' Association oppose the law, in part because it also conflicts with federal statutes. 

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"We're asking Governor Jerry Brown to sign the Trust Act that will allow local police agencies to not honor the immigration detainer," said Carlos Montes, of the Southern California Immigration Coalition. "We need to stop implementing the Secure Communities program that is causing the detention and deportation of thousands of our community." 

Under the Secure Communities program, whenever a suspect is booked in jail, their fingerprints go through an immigration database. If in the U.S. illegally, ICE can put a hold or detainer on the inmate so they're deported. Under the Trust Act, police would be under no obligation to honor that detainer for dozens of crimes.

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