Restore Transparency, Safety, and Support: Repeal SB 54

The California Values Act, SB 54, often called the “Sanctuary Law,” was enacted initially with noble intentions to ensure that undocumented immigrants could report crimes without fear of immigration retaliation. Unfortunately, in practice, SB 54 has resulted in a lack of transparency and endangers public safety by protecting criminals. 

SB 54 bans almost all cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration agencies. While it may seem like a moral stance, the unintended results are that federal agents now have to cast a wide net instead of focusing on criminals. Does anyone, and I mean anyone, believe we shouldn’t check the roughly 150,000 criminals in our state and county jails to see if they are dangerous undocumented felons? One clear issue is that the communities this law aimed to protect are actually the ones being most hurt by it. 

We recently observed this in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties during marijuana farm raids. Federal officers executed criminal warrants but didn’t coordinate with local officials. As a result, the operations ended up detaining everyone nearby, regardless of their status or offense. This included trafficked children, previously convicted felons, and our law-abiding friends and neighbors who have lived here for decades, simply trying to provide a better life for their families. All of these truths can be true simultaneously; it’s not an either-or situation. When no one knows who the actual targets are because no one is permitted to ask, the net is cast too wide. The consequence is confusion, fear, and trauma that better cooperation could have prevented.

Indeed, our state elected leaders seem to wear their non-cooperation as a badge of honor or, worse, as a way to energize their politics. At city council and county board meetings across the state, residents have called for basic transparency and communication. Honestly, it was surreal and naïve for Santa Barbara County Supervisors to ask if ICE could be brought in to answer questions. The ineptitude of that idea was clear when they realized their only real option was to submit a Freedom of Information Act request. Talk about being outside looking in.  

The truth is, under SB 54, neither victims nor advocates can see the whole picture. Our sheriff can’t clarify what happened. Our district attorney can’t coordinate. Our public defender can’t prepare. Even social workers can’t provide proper support because they’re left out of the loop. Removing coordination and oversight also removes fairness. We leave immigrants at the mercy of rumors, confusion, and fear. We leave our citizens with partisan rhetoric aimed at each other instead of the verified truth. The federal agents executing criminal warrants are left with no choice but to bring a military-like presence to our towns because they have no options for on-scene support from local authorities. 

Into that void, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) step in, often well-meaning but entirely unaccountable. With no legal obligation for full financial disclosure, which we’ve seen as a problem with the fire recovery and homelessness NGO funds in California, they’ve become the de facto response system for undocumented immigrant support. Our tax dollars meant for city or county needs cannot continue to support unaccountable NGOs. In short, our Sanctuary status inflames and expands the problem that our tax dollars and these NGOs are asked to fix. How about a little more cooperation and a lot less need to “fix”? 

The good news is that we can bring about change by demanding a repeal of SB 54. We can then empower the County Sheriffs, DAs, and Public Defenders to ensure that the essential services, support, and transparency that we already pay for with our taxes are delivered.  

Our legislators need to find real solutions, not just performative antics that look good on camera, but instead recognize that “a little less noise and a little more light” will help guide our communities forward thoughtfully. Repealing SB 54 is a good first step.