Statement from City Attorney Dennis Herrera on Department of Justice suing California

The U.S. Department of Justice is suing the state of California over sanctuary laws passed in recent months

SAN FRANCISCO (March 6, 2018) —City Attorney Dennis Herrera issued the following statement today in response to the U.S. Department of Justice filing a lawsuit against the state of California for its sanctuary laws:

“Overreach is a hallmark of the Trump administration. Here they go again. The Trump administration is trying to impose its will on decisions that the Constitution says local communities get to make. This is the latest attempt by this administration to try to score cheap political points by vilifying undocumented immigrants as criminals, when in fact the vast majority are hardworking people trying to make a better life for their families.

San Francisco is in full compliance with federal immigration law. The Trump administration has been trying to twist the law to mean something it doesn’t say. So far the courts have stopped them at nearly every turn. We stand with the people of our great state. Californians have a legal right to prioritize our limited law enforcement resources to actually fight crime, not break up families.

This is why we have courts, because the Trump administration does not respect the rule of law.”

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