In response to a threat by Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca to ignore a proposed state law that would limit when local law enforcement must detain illegal immigrant arrestees (“Sheriff Baca may defy proposed law easing immigration enforcement,” Los Angeles Times, August 25), ACLU of Southern California Executive Director Hector Villagra issued the following statement:

Yesterday afternoon, the California State Senate approved AB 1081 – the TRUST Act – with a vote of 21-13. Assemblymember Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) is the bill's author; State Senator Kevin de León (D - Los Angeles) served as floor manager for the vote and presented the bill to the Senate.

Hector Villagra, ACLU/SC Executive Director: Today the Supreme Court struck down most of Arizona's SB 1070, the anti-immigrant draconian law that was passed in 2010. Three key provisions were struck down today and these were some of the most outrageous provisions in the law.

Hector Villagra, ACLU/SC Executive Director: It is fitting that today the federal government should announce an order preventing DREAM Act-eligible undocumented immigrants from being deported. Thirty years ago today, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a state law prohibiting undocumented children from receiving a free public education. The Court recognized the unfairness and irrationality of punishing innocent children who are here through no fault of their own by denying them an education.

Detain first, investigate later — that is Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) mantra when it comes to its Secure Communities ("S-Comm") program, a program designed to immediately ensnare any immigrant in the deportation pipeline the moment they come into contact with the criminal justice system.