2 Huntington Beach councilmen ‘seek relief’ from ‘sanctuary state’ laws

Two Huntington Beach city councilmen said they want to follow the lead of Los Alamitos and other cities in an effort to “seek relief” from state mandates that expand protections for undocumented immigrants.

Mayor Mike Posey said in a statement that he and Councilman Erik Peterson want Surf City to discuss Sacramento’s so-called “sanctuary state” bills, such as Senate Bill 54, Assembly Bill 450 and AB 103, at Monday’s council meeting.

Posey, who witnessed SB 54’s passing in Sacramento last year, called such policies an open violation of federal immigration laws.

In a news release, he said they “all represent a threat to public safety.”

“In order for the city to maintain our superior record of public safety, we have been exploring options to ensure your safety and maintain local control, while at the same time, fulfill our oath of upholding the Constitution,” he said.

State Senate leader Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles), who wrote SB 54, warned cities going against the state’s sanctuary laws.

“Pushing a racist and anti-immigrant agenda devoid of facts or supporting legal analysis is a pretty sad use of taxpayer resources, especially when it could result in crippling legal costs for cities that rush to join this dead-end effort,” he said in a written statement.

Huntington Beach’s pending discussion comes as talks mount throughout Orange County pushing against the sanctuary laws.

Earlier this month, the Los Alamitos City Council passed its own opt-out ordinance. Yorba Linda, Buena Park and Mission Viejo have also had talks.

And on Tuesday, the Orange County Board of Supervisors voted to join a federal lawsuit fighting the matter.

The Trump administration has argued that California’s sanctuary state policies blatantly obstructs federal immigration authorities and violates the Constitution’s supremacy clause giving federal law precedence over a state’s. The case is pending.

Monday’s Huntington Beach council meeting begins at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 2000 Main St.

Cindy Carcamo of the Los Angeles Times contributed to this report.

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