A bill that would restrict immigration enforcement at California schools cleared a state Senate committee — with the support of Democrats and one Republican.
The legislation, SB 48, would make it illegal for schools to allow immigration authorities onto campus, question students or search school property without a valid warrant or court order.
The bill would also create a one-mile buffer around the school, preventing law enforcement from helping with immigration enforcement within that area. Law enforcement would not be allowed to give information about students, their families or school staff to immigration officials in this one-mile zone.
The bill was proposed in response to President Donald Trump‘s promises of mass deportations of undocumented immigrants, including at schools and houses of worship, designated “sensitive locations,” according to California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, a sponsor of the measure. The “sensitive locations” policy had barred immigration enforcement at certain places, including schools and churches, but in January, Trump rescinded the policy, allowing authorities to carry out arrests at these locations.
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