California lawmakers pass bill to prevent disclosure of immigration status in court

The San Jose Mercury News reports:

California lawmakers on Thursday gave final approval to a bill that would place strict limits on the disclosure of a person’s immigration status in open court, continuing the sanctuary state’s rebellion against the Trump administration’s illegal immigration crackdown.

Senate Bill 785 was introduced in response to news reports of ICE agents tracking down undocumented immigrants in courthouses across the country. It takes aim at a tactic that advocates say is keeping many immigrants from testifying in court, reporting crimes or simply showing up to pay a ticket.

“This is about protecting public safety,” said Assemblywoman Gonzalez Fletcher, D-San Diego, one of the bill’s authors, in a statement Thursday. “Our criminal-justice system can’t function if witnesses or victims are afraid to testify out of fear of being deported. You should be able to testify against a murderer or rapist without fearing that you or your loved ones will be thrown out of the country as a result.”

The bill, introduced last year by Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, passed the Senate Thursday with a bipartisan vote of 31-6. Six of the 13 Senate Republicans voted for the proposal and one did not vote.

If signed by Gov. Jerry Brown, it will take effect immediately.

California wants to prevent the profiles of many people from making news...