California Attorney General Engages with Advocates in San Diego on Immigrant Rights Issues

January 26, 2025 TruthUSA

This follows President Donald Trump’s declaration of a national emergency at the southern border, alongside a commitment to accelerate deportations.

SAN DIEGO—On January 24, California Attorney General Rob Bonta convened with rights organizations and activists in San Diego to discuss strategies aimed at guiding immigrant communities, part of what has been referred to as the state’s “Trump-proofing” initiatives.

This meeting marked the fifth and concluding event in a series initiated by Bonta across the state since last year, aimed at educating communities about California’s laws in light of the Trump administration’s illegal immigration policies.

On January 20, coinciding with his inauguration, President Donald Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border, citing issues related to drug trafficking, human smuggling, and crime. Throughout his campaign, he reiterated vows to commence mass deportations of undocumented immigrants.

“We have been gearing up for this moment for months, listening to concerns through these regional gatherings and providing guidance for immigrants, local law enforcement, prosecutors, school officials, and public entities,” said Bonta.

Bonta affirmed that immigrants within California communities, including those who are undocumented, possess rights to legal representation, emergency medical treatment, the ability to seek housing without disclosing immigration status, and the entitlement for their children to receive a free public education, among other rights.

His office also made clear that local and state law enforcement are prohibited from inquiring about an individual’s immigration status for enforcement purposes, sharing personal information for immigration enforcement, or assisting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in enforcement actions in most scenarios.

There can be exceptions for those with serious or violent felony convictions, those with outstanding federal felony arrest warrants, or individuals listed on the California sex and arson registry.

Tom Homan, Trump’s immigration czar, indicated that ICE would prioritize undocumented immigrants who have a violent criminal record or are deemed threats to public safety, while cautioning that additional arrests would occur.

A recently signed executive order concerning illegal immigration, signed by Trump on January 20, states: “It is the policy of the United States to faithfully enforce immigration laws against all inadmissible and removable aliens, especially those who threaten the safety or security of the American populace.”

“Furthermore, it is the policy of the United States to ensure total and effective enforcement of these laws, including through lawful incentives and detention capabilities,” the order continued.

Numerous community organizations and several participants at the immigrant rights meeting expressed unease regarding the new administration’s strategies.

“We have observed significant anxiety regarding law enforcement databases,” Patricia Mondragon, regional policy manager at Alliance San Diego, remarked during the gathering.

For instance, the Automated Regional Justice Information System, a criminal database and information-sharing framework in San Diego and Imperial counties along the U.S.-Mexico border, is utilized by over 80 local, state, and federal agencies.

This platform enables real-time sharing of data including photographs and warrants, in addition to providing crime and sex offender mapping, crime analytics, and offender identification tools, as per their website.

“There is a substantial amount of fear,” Mondragon conveyed to The Epoch Times. “What assurance do we have that the federal government wouldn’t subpoena them to obtain data for immigration enforcement?”

Other issues raised in the meeting included the propagation of “misinformation” and anxieties over potential backlash or harm against communities with undocumented immigrants.

Bonta stated that his office is currently scrutinizing the new executive orders. “We will take legal action wherever we find violations of the law and instances of rights being disregarded,” Bonta assured. “You have my commitment on that.”

California has already joined several lawsuits contesting the constitutionality of Trump’s executive order redefining birthright citizenship, which was signed on January 20. Subsequently, a judge temporarily stayed the enactment of that order with a 14-day emergency temporary restraining order.

Bonta informed The Epoch Times that there are no current plans for additional lawsuits, as his office examines how Trump is utilizing military forces for immigration enforcement, as well as the president’s actions affecting the LGBT community.

On December 10, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved a new local ordinance aimed at further limiting the use of county resources to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement activities. This policy seeks to protect families of undocumented immigrants from large-scale deportation efforts, according to Board Chair Nora Vargas.

After the vote, Sheriff Kelly Martinez stated that she would not comply with the new county policy.

“Existing state law strikes a proper balance between curtailing local law enforcement’s cooperation with immigration authorities, ensuring public safety, and fostering community trust,” Martinez commented.

City News Service contributed to this report.

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