California gets tough on illegal border crossings?

Looks like Arizona Fever may be sweeping California.  The state legislature will consider a proposal to make crossing borders a state crime punishable by six months in jail and a $1000 fine, a tough sentence for those just seeking access to the American dream.  State and local police agencies will have to enforce the law, which appears to fly in the face of announced boycotts of Arizona from California and several of its cities (including Los Angeles and West Hollywood) for doing essentially the same thing.

Except that the new law isn’t aimed at those who cross the federal border.  It’s aimed at those who cross the Hollywood elite’s barriers to crash parties:

A proposed law set to go before California’s Legislature this month would make one of Hollywood’s cherished utterances — “You’re not on the list” — carry grave new consequences. It’s a measure aimed at making the act of party crashing a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail, a $1,000 fine or both.

The author of the legislation, Assemblyman Anthony Portantino (D-La Canada Flintridge), said crashers at high-profile events like the Academy Awards and other awards shows pose a threat to public safety that warrants a law in addition to the 25 sections of trespassing code already on California’s books. Portantino acted at the request of theScreen Actors Guild after some crashers breached security at the SAG Awards in January but were released because of legal loopholes.

“At some awards shows, folks were there without a ticket or credentials; they were asked to leave, and they didn’t,” Portantino said. “The question was raised whether current trespassing laws were written in a way that covers that sort of situation. We’re trying to bring clarity to the whole issue so law enforcement knows how to and has the discretion to handle it.”

Hmmm.  Let’s try recasting that last quote from Portantino, a former filmmaker.  “At some workplaces, folks were there without citizenship or legal-resident credentials.  They’ve been asked to leave, and they haven’t.  Arizona is trying to bring clarity to the whole issue so law enforcement knows how to and has the discretion to handle it.”  Yeah, that works, doesn’t it?

The Academy seems to agree:

“Anything that enhances our ability to enforce our security procedures, generally speaking, we’re in favor of,” said Academy Awards spokesperson Leslie Unger. “We want to make the best use of whatever legal options are at our disposal. If this bill can expand them, all the better.”

Hey, isn’t that what Arizona is saying, too?  They want to enforce security procedures, and their populace is definitely in favor of that.  Why not expand Arizona’s legal options, too?  Or is border security only legitimate at Hollywood parties, where the limousine liberals who protest in favor of open borders now want law enforcement to police the red carpet? (h/t John from Venice)

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