Published January 31, 2017
The Latest on California legislation involving immigration (all times local):
3:40 p.m.
Legislation to prohibit state and local government officials from assisting in the creation of a Muslim registry is advancing in the California Legislature.
The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the measure 6-0 Tuesday as Democrats accelerate their attempts to resist President Donald Trump's policies toward immigrants and minorities.
Of three measures that advanced on Tuesday, the Muslim registry ban is the only one to receive support from a Republican lawmaker.
Democratic Sen. Ricardo Lara of Bell Gardens says he wrote the bill in response to statements Trump made during his presidential campaign.
Trump called for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States," and the president signed an executive order temporarily halting migration from seven Muslim-majority countries.
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3:15 p.m.
Democrats on a California legislative panel have advanced a bill that would provide money for lawyers to represent people facing deportation.
The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the measure Tuesday with a 5-2 party-line vote, as California Democrats ramped up efforts against President Donald Trump's crackdown on immigration and sanctuary cities.
Several Democrats voted to advance the measure to another committee despite their strong concerns about creating a new program to assist immigrants while existing legal-aid programs are underfunded.
Some Democratic lawmakers also say they're concerned that the legislation prohibits assistance for people with prior criminal convictions.
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11:35 a.m.
Legislative Democrats in California have advanced a bill that would provide statewide sanctuary for immigrants by restricting local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities.
The measure marks California Democrats' first formal effort to resist President Donald Trump's immigration policies.
The Senate Public Safety Committee approved SB54 in a 5-2 party-line vote on Tuesday — less than a week after Trump signed an order threatening to withdraw some federal grants from established sanctuary cities.
Democrats say the legislation is necessary to prevent fear of deportation in families with members living in California without authorization.
Cory Salzillo of the California State Sheriffs' Association says law enforcement officers at all levels of government must work together to keep people safe.
The legislation now goes to the Senate Appropriations Committee.
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10:45 a.m.
Representatives from law enforcement groups say they're opposed to a California bill that would restrict them from cooperating in immigration enforcement activities.
Officials representing sheriffs and police officers told a Senate committee Tuesday that the legislation would restrict their ability to communicate and cooperate with federal law-enforcement agencies.
Cory Salzillo of the California State Sheriffs' Association says sheriffs need to be able to work with law enforcement officers at all levels of government in order to keep people safe.
Republican Sen. Jeff Stone of Temecula says SB54 needs to more explicitly allow local authorities to cooperate in deporting violent felons.
Tuesday's committee hearing on the bill is the first tangible step California is taking to advance legislation to resist President Donald Trump's immigration policies.
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10:25 a.m.
The author of a California bill that would restrict local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities says the legislation would prevent families from being torn apart.
Democratic Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon of Los Angeles told the Senate Public Safety Committee Tuesday that his legislation is a necessary response to President Donald Trump's immigration orders.
De Leon's SB54 would prohibit state and local law enforcement from assisting in immigration investigations or detaining people for immigration violations or without a judicial warrant.
The measure also seeks to limit immigration enforcement activities in schools, courthouses and other public facilities.
California's legislative leaders have pledged to fight back against Trump's policies they label discriminatory. Republicans say Democrats will harm the state by reflexively fighting Trump.
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12 a.m.
California may prohibit local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities, creating a border-to-border sanctuary in the nation's largest state.
The legislation is scheduled for its first public hearing in a Senate committee Tuesday as legislative Democrats ramp up their efforts to battle President Donald Trump's immigration policies.
Many of California's largest cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sacramento have so-called sanctuary policies that prohibit police from cooperating with immigration authorities. But much of the state does not.
The Democratic legislation comes up for debate less than a week after Trump signed an order threatening to withdraw some federal grants from jurisdictions that bar officials from communicating with federal authorities about someone's immigration status.
Some Republicans have criticized Democrats for rushing to do battle with the Republican president.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/the-latest-california-bill-seeks-to-hamper-muslim-registry