The Supreme Court rejected Monday the Trump administration’s challenge to a California “sanctuary” law that limited the state’s cooperation with federal authorities on immigration.
The case surrounds a California law put into effect in 2017 that limited the President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda by placing a cap on how much state law enforcement cooperated with federal authorities on enforcing immigration laws, according to CNBC.
Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito were among the two that supported hearing Trump’s challenge.
Solicitor General Noel Francisco argued on behalf of the Trump administration that “(the law’s) conceded purpose to obstruct — and effect of obstructing — federal law through its own regulatory scheme makes the state law unenforceable.” (RELATED: ‘You’re Not A Journalist, You’re An Activist’: Jenna Ellis Fires Back At Brian Stelter Over Trump CNN Threat)
WASHINGTON, DC – NOVEMBER 30: United States Supreme Court (Front L-R) Associate Justice Stephen Breyer, Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice John Roberts, Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Associate Justice Samuel Alito, Jr., (Back L-R) Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch, Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice Elena Kagan and Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh pose for their official portrait at the in the East Conference Room at the Supreme Court building November 30, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Originally, a California federal district court upheld the state’s “sanctuary” law and the 9th Circuit Court of Appeal reaffirmed the court’s ruling on the matter. The Supreme Court’s case is labeled under United States v. California, No. 19-532. (RELATED: Princeton Professor Equates Lafayette Square Fence To Berlin Wall)
During the president’s State of The Union speech in February, Trump condemned California for it’s “outrageous” sanctuary and called on Congress to pass legislation allowing citizens to sue state’s with sanctuary laws. “The United States of America should be a sanctuary for law-abiding Americans — not criminal aliens!” Trump said.
As a result of California “Sanctuary” law labeled SB 54, Orange County has released more than 2,100 illegal aliens in the past two years, according to a report from February. Nearly 400 of those illegal aliens released were later re-arrested for various crimes including rape, domestic assault and child sex offenses.