May 10, 2017
Today, Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart formally endorsed the California Values Act, SB 54 by Kevin de León. The bill would protect families and communities across California from the federal government’s cruel deportation machine. In response to the endorsement, the ACLU of CA, Asian Americans Advancing Justice – CA, California Immigrant Policy Center, Immigrant Legal Resource Center, and PICO California issued the following statement:
We applaud Sheriff Hart’s wise decision to back the California Values Act.
Californians must stand up for our values during these troubled times, and the Sheriff has done exactly that. As the Sheriff noted: “SB 54 provides a clear delineation between local law enforcement and the federal government and will strengthen trust with all of the communities we are sworn to protect to serve.”
We hope that other law enforcement leaders will follow Sheriff Hart’s lead and side with California’s values of safety and fairness, while turning away from the federal government’s reckless and harmful approach.
With the California Values Act, we will send a powerful message across a nation reeling from Trump’s attacks.