California flexed its political muscle Thursday, beefing up protections for undocumented immigrants under a controversial law signed by Gov. Jerry Brown that pushes back against President Trump’s policies.

Brown signed the bill to create a statewide sanctuary policy on the day Trump set as the deadline for immigrants aided by the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, to request a two-year extension before the program is phased out. Brown also signed 10 other immigration-related bills that limit the growth of detention centers, expand education services for immigrants, and extend tenant and workplace protections for undocumented people.

Brown said the new laws will ensure “hardworking people who contribute to our state are respected.” (Read more from “California Now ‘Sanctuary State'” HERE)

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State lawmakers acted Saturday to clear the last legislative hurdles to make California a “sanctuary state.”

The California Senate passed the bill early Saturday. Democrat Gov. Jerry Brown has indicated he will sign it.

Assemblyman Steven Choi, R-Irvine, who is also a first-generation immigrant from South Korea, said he came to the U.S. legally and the bill created “chaos” for a country built on law and order.

Republicans in the California Legislature remained opposed to the measure on Friday, saying it would tie the hands of law enforcement and compromise public safety.

“A lot of people talk about building a wall. This bill builds a wall between the federal government and our local partners and makes our communities less safe,” said James Gallagher, a Republican state assemblyman.

Some in law enforcement also opposed the new law.

“Our overarching concern remains that limiting local law enforcement’s ability to communicate and cooperate with federal law enforcement officers endangers public safety,” the California State Sheriffs’ Association said in a statement.

The California Values Act would forbid state and local law enforcement agencies from providing information to or acting as the deputies for federal immigration authorities. The bill also prohibits police and sheriffs’ officers from inquiring about a person’s immigration status.

The bill went through an intense amending process. The final version allows jail and prison officials to notify the federal government if they have arrested an illegal immigrant with a felony record and allows federal immigration officers to interview people in custody.

However, the law bans any local jail holding a detainee for additional jail time that would then allow federal authorities to take an illegal immigrant into custody.

The bill does include some exceptions, including suspects accused of the most violent or serious crimes.

“This bill here today helps some of us to believe that California is a safe place for immigrants, that we are a Golden State,” said Democrat Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula.

California is home to an estimated 2.3 million illegal immigrants. (For more from the author of “State Legislature OKs Law to Make California ‘Sanctuary State'” please click HERE)

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Californians may soon get the opportunity to vote to secede from the United States.

The state’s attorney general, Xavier Becerra, issued an official ballot measure title on Tuesday allowing CalExit supporters to start gathering the 585,000 signatures needed to place the matter before California voters in 2018, the Associated Press reported.

“The initiative [titled ‘California Autonomy From Federal Government’] would form a commission to recommend avenues for California to pursue its independence and delete part of the state constitution that says it is an inseparable part of the U.S. The measure would also instruct the governor and California congressional delegation to negotiate more autonomy for the state,” according to the AP.

California #Calexit secession campaign can start gathering signatures https://t.co/kCsaxY4crr

— Yes California (@YesCalifornia) July 26, 2017

This is the second attempt to get such an initiative on the 2018 ballot by a group that is known as Yes California or CalExit.

The first effort was withdrawn in April after the group’s founder, Louis Marinelli, emigrated to Russia, which prompted the group’s official spokesman, Marcus Ruiz Evans, to pull the initiative. He promised to resurrect it later, which he now has.

During an interview in January, Evans said Donald Trump’s election has greatly fueled his group’s cause, which dates back over two years.

“If California votes were taken away, Trump won the popular election,” said Evans. “So what kind of people elect a man like that? The answer: not Californians.”

“So we’re basically here to tell people that ‘I know that California officials are telling you that they’re going to protect you, but in fact in federalism, the federal government, overrules state law,” he added. “There is going to be a limit to what they can do.”

Evans told reporters the Supreme Court has already recognized the right of states to secede in Texas v. White (1869), though the justices actually held states do not have the right to secede unilaterally. Other states must accede to the move through the amendment process.

He cited issues such as climate change and illegal immigration as reasons California would be better off as its own master.

The group has 20,000 followers on Twitter and over 40,000 likes on Facebook.

We don't believe California should be negotiating with the Trump administration on #Calexit. We believe the voters should decide themselves.

— Yes California (@YesCalifornia) July 27, 2017

Evans believes California, as the 5th largest economy in the world, will be just fine on its own.

At $2.6 trillion, the Golden State’s economy dwarfs the GDP’s of its sister states.

Its closest rival is Texas with a GDP of approximately $1.6 trillion.

California also has the largest population by far of any state with 39 million (or 12 percent of the United States), with Texas, once again, in second at 28 million, followed by Florida and New York, each with approximately 20 million.

CalExit organizers have 180 days to collect the required 585,000 signatures for the measure to appear on the ballot in 2018. (For more from the author of “California Allows Secession Ballot Initiative to Proceed” please click HERE)

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