Senator Sasha Renée Pérez issues statement on continued immigration enforcement raids and back to school concerns
SACRAMENTO – Senator Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Pasadena) has issued the following statement on the continued federal immigration enforcement actions taking place in California, as parents prepare to send their children back to school:
“The federal government’s renewed immigration raids appear to be in clear violation of a federal court ruling, which was upheld last week by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. This ruling is strong and clear. It says the Trump Administration cannot continue these cruel and aggressive raids that amount to illegal racial profiling.
“After a brief pause, masked agents are back on the streets of Los Angeles County with new tricks and tactics designed to terrorize the honest and hardworking people in our communities. This week, we saw federal officials rent a Penske moving truck, hiding agents and a Fox News television crew inside. This is pure theatrics—a scripted horror movie playing out in real life. The federal government must be held accountable by the courts for disregarding this ruling. The President is not above the law, and like any other individual, must comply with court orders.
“As the Chair of the Senate Education Committee, I am committed to using my legislative authority to create greater protections for families sending their students back to school. I understand the deep fear families are feeling. For that reason, I have introduced SB 98, the SAFE Act, to alert school communities if immigration enforcement authorities show up on campus.
“I am also authoring SB 805, the No Vigilantes Act, which will expand the scope of existing police impersonation laws by making it illegal to impersonate peace officers, including federal agents, and require all law enforcement operating in California to clearly display identification that includes their agency and either a name or badge number or both. This bill also authorizes law enforcement to request identification from anyone claiming to be law enforcement, and bans bounty hunters from engaging in any form of immigration enforcement in California.
“The lack of transparency surrounding ICE raids fosters confusion, fear, and mistrust in communities across the state. Especially now, we must use our state’s legislative authority to respond to the troubling attacks we have seen in our communities, SB 98, the SAFE Act, and SB 805, the No Vigilantes Act, do just that.”
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Senator Sasha Renée Pérez is Chair of the Senate Education Committee and represents the 25th Senate District that includes the communities of Glendale, Pasadena, Alhambra, Altadena, Arcadia, Claremont, Glendora, La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta-Montrose, Monrovia, Monterey Park, Rosemead, San Gabriel, San Marino, Sierra Madre, South Pasadena, Temple City, Fontana, Rancho Cucamonga, Upland, and San Antonio Heights.