Coastal region that is not a sanctuary seeks legal action against California to assert its law enforcement rights

A Southern California city is suing the state over sanctuary laws that limit cooperation between local authorities and immigration officials. 

A lawsuit has been filed by Huntington Beach against California Gov. Gavin Newsom and state Attorney General Rob Bonta, continuing a series of legal actions by the city against the state government. The focus of this particular lawsuit is the California Values Act, also known as SB 54. This law restricts the ability of local and state law enforcement to collaborate with federal immigration authorities, except in specific situations.

Huntington Beach City Attorney Michael Gates has expressed concerns about the impact of the sanctuary state law. He believes that it hinders communication and coordination between local officials and federal agencies, effectively forcing the violation of certain federal immigration laws and impeding voluntary cooperation.

In light of the lawsuit, Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office has stated that he intends to defend SB 54. The deadline for Bonta’s response to the complaint is March 6.

“The Attorney General is committed to protecting and ensuring the rights of California’s immigrant communities and upholding vital laws like SB 54, which ensure that state and local resources go toward fighting crime in California communities, not toward federal immigration enforcement,” his office said. “Our office successfully fought back against a challenge to SB 54 by the first Trump administration, and we are prepared to vigorously defend SB 54 again.”

Bonta noted that SB 54 doesn’t prevent the federal government from conducting immigration enforcement, but says “that they cannot make us do their jobs for them.”

Last week, Burns, the mayor, and the rest of the City Council unanimously voted to declare Huntington Beach a “non-sanctuary” city. The move directs the city’s police officers to cooperate with immigration authorities. 

In addition to the most recent lawsuit, Huntington Beach is currently fighting Sacramento on several fronts. Earlier this month, Bonta announced that he is appealing a ruling that bounced a case out of court after voters in the city approved a ballot measure to require identification be shown for those voting in person within city limits. 

Huntington Beach Mayor Pat Burns introduced a resolution to make the city a “non-sanctuary” city. (City of Huntington Beach)

In October, the city lost an appeal after losing a lawsuit to circumvent state housing mandates. 

“The state wants to consolidate all power in Sacramento and that’s why we’ve been in court fighting back and pushing back,” Gates said.