California Attorney General Rob Bonta has filed a motion to dismiss Huntington Beach’s lawsuit challenging Senate Bill 54, known as “the California Values Act.” This law limits the use of state and local resources for federal immigration enforcement. The motion argues that Huntington Beach lacks standing to challenge SB 54.
In 2019, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld the California Values Act, stating that “SB 54 does not directly conflict with any obligations that [federal law] impose[s] on state or local governments.”
Attorney General Bonta stated, “California made a choice when it passed SB 54: To use our resources to protect public safety and to maintain trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.” He urged the court to dismiss what he called a meritless lawsuit by Huntington Beach.
SB 54 was enacted in 2017, emphasizing that trust between California’s immigrant community and local agencies is crucial for public safety. It prohibits California law enforcement from engaging in immigration enforcement activities such as detaining individuals solely for immigration purposes or entering new contracts with federal agencies for detaining noncitizens. However, it allows coordination with federal authorities under certain conditions.
The first Trump Administration challenged SB 54’s constitutionality in 2018. The Ninth Circuit affirmed California’s right not to assist federal efforts under the Tenth Amendment’s anticommandeering rule. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to review this decision.
Attorney General Bonta contends that the district court lacks jurisdiction over Huntington Beach’s case due to established Ninth Circuit precedent barring local governments from challenging state statutes’ validity under federal law in federal courts.
Bonta has shown commitment to protecting immigrants’ rights by hosting regional meetings with immigrant rights groups and officials across California cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco after President Trump’s election. More information about these efforts is available at oag.ca.gov/immigrant/.
