Republican state Rep. Bill Essayli is pushing for California Democrats to go on the record to end sanctuary protections for illegal immigrants convicted of sex crimes against minors. He plans to introduce AB 2641, which would require law enforcement to comply with federal immigration requests to detain or transfer someone or notify immigration agents of the pending release of someone convicted of sex crimes against a child. Essayli was inspired by a recent case in which a Colombian citizen convicted of sex crimes in California was arrested in Massachusetts by ICE agents due to California’s restrictions on law enforcement cooperation with ICE. This bill is a strategic move to force Democrats to justify why they are protecting individuals who commit such heinous crimes.
The powerful Democratic-dominated Assembly Public Safety Committee has previously refused to hold a hearing on Essayli’s bill, along with other bills that would have made human trafficking of children a serious felony. Agnes Gibboney, a U.S. citizen and Angel Mom whose son was murdered in 2002, criticized elected officials for not prioritizing the safety of all communities. She believes they are protecting a certain class of people instead of recognizing the equal rights of all communities. Gibboney is urging lawmakers to vote for bills that prioritize public safety, like Essayli’s proposed legislation, which targets illegal immigrants convicted of sex crimes against children instead of all individuals in the country illegally.
Essayli wants to force Democrats to defend their policies by targeting the worst of the worst offenders, rather than simply reversing sanctuary state policies altogether. He hopes this approach will lead to a more meaningful discussion on the topic. By putting pressure on Democrats to explain why they believe in protecting individuals who commit such crimes, Essayli aims to highlight the flaws in California’s current immigration policies. This bill seeks to ensure that law enforcement is able to cooperate with federal immigration authorities when dealing with individuals who have committed serious crimes.
The Trump administration has criticized California’s sanctuary state policies, arguing that they prevent law enforcement from effectively dealing with illegal immigration and protecting public safety. Essayli’s bill is part of a broader effort to push back against these policies and hold elected officials accountable for their decisions. By targeting specific individuals convicted of serious crimes, Essayli hopes to make it more difficult for Democrats to defend their support for sanctuary protections. This bill represents a more focused and strategic approach to addressing the issue of illegal immigration, particularly in cases involving violent or sexual crimes against minors.
California Democrats have been criticized for prioritizing the protection of illegal immigrants over the safety of the community as a whole. Agnes Gibboney, along with other advocates, believes that elected officials should prioritize public safety and work to ensure that individuals who commit serious crimes are held accountable. Essayli’s bill represents an opportunity to challenge existing sanctuary state policies and force Democrats to justify their positions on immigration enforcement. This legislation aims to address the concerns of Californians who feel that the state’s current policies are not effectively protecting communities from individuals who pose a threat due to their criminal behavior. By focusing on specific cases of individuals convicted of sex crimes against minors, Essayli hopes to shed light on the potential consequences of California’s sanctuary state law.
