Assemblyman Das Williams Weighs in on California’s Trust Act
Illegal immigrants arrested for minor offenses will no longer have to fear deportation if a bill passed by the State Senate becomes law. The approved bill comes about a week after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the “show me your papers” provision of Arizona’s illegal immigration law. In a 21 to 13 vote, the California Trust Act was passed, which supporters are dubbing the “Anti-Arizona Law.”It essentially blocks local police from reporting a detainee to immigration officials for deportation, unless that person has been convicted of a violent or serious felony. They would no longer detain lower-level offenders on immigration holds. San Francisco Democratic Assemblyman, Tom Ammiano said he wrote AB1081 because a federal policy requiring local law enforcement to check the immigration status of an arrestee, wastes resources and erodes trust. The bill also seeks to push back against a federal program established to deport unauthorized immigrants, called Secure Communities. In an exclusive interview, Assemblyman Das Williams weighs in on this controversial issue.KEY News Reporter Shirin Rajaee reports.