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A panel of three judges of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously ruled Thursday that most of California's three laws restricting cooperation with federal immigration authorities could continue to be enforced , thus rejecting the essence of the lawsuit brought by the Trump administration.
The judges refused to block the most controversial law, Senate Bill 54, which prohibits police and sheriff officials from informing immigration authorities when immigrant inmates are released from jail. In his opinion, Judge Milan D. Smith Jr. wrote: "We do not doubt that this complicates the task of the federal immigration authorities." However, he added that the law "does not directly conflict with the obligations" imposed on states or local governments by federal law "because the federal law does not provide for any action on the part of the government. State".
The court also upheld a California law, Assembly Bill 450, which required employers to alert employees of any federal immigration inspection for employees who may not be allowed to work at the polls. United States. Judge Smith, who was appointed to the federal judiciary by George W. Bush, said that state law "does not impose any additional or contrary obligation that undermines or disrupts the activities of law enforcement authorities. Federal immigration ".
The court blocked part of Bill 103, which requires the state to control the places of detention of immigrants. He decided that a provision requiring the state to control the circumstances of the arrest and transfer of detainees would impose an unacceptable burden on the federal government.
"Only provisions that impose an additional economic burden exclusively on the federal government are invalid," wrote Justice Smith.
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In March 2018, the Justice Department sued California for violating its sanctuary laws. Jeff Sessions, then Attorney General, said that they hindered cooperation between federal and local law enforcement and prevented the government from enforcing federal immigration laws. US District Judge John Mendez had previously rejected the federal government's challenge to Senate bills 54 and 103 and part of Bill 450, but had rejected a provision of Bill 450 that provides for fines for private employers which allow immigration officers to go to their place of work.
California officials said the immigration laws foster trust between immigrant communities and law enforcement.
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who has repeatedly sued the Trump government for justice, mainly for immigration and environmental protection decisions, said the ruling shows that State rights "continue to flourish".
"We continue to prove in California that the rule of law is not just about something, but that people can not act outside of it," Becerra said in a statement.
The Department of Justice has no immediate comment.
Adam Shaw of Fox News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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