Costa Mesa council to discuss possible action opposing state’s ‘sanctuary’ immigration law

Will Costa Mesa be the next Orange County city to take action opposing a California law that expands protections for undocumented immigrants?

City Council members are set to answer that question Tuesday when they discuss Senate Bill 54, a “sanctuary state” law that in many cases prohibits local and state police agencies from notifying federal officials when they’re about to release immigrants in their custody who may be subject to deportation.

Mayor Pro Tem Allan Mansoor and Councilman Jim Righeimer asked the council this month to take up the matter, saying they wanted to further examine how the law might affect the city or its policing efforts.

During a previous stint on the council from 2002 to 2010, Mansoor pushed the city to work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to check the immigration status of crime suspects, and an ICE agent was stationed at the city jail for a time.

Throughout that period, “we had up to 50 or so criminals per month flagged by ICE,” he said in an interview in March.

As mayor in 2010, he led a council action to declare Costa Mesa a “rule-of-law city when it comes to support for upholding immigration laws.”

According to a memo on SB 54 included in Tuesday’s council agenda, Police Chief Rob Sharpnack and Capt. Bryan Glass wrote that “besides the guidelines outlining local law enforcement’s collaboration levels with federal agents on immigration enforcement-related activities, these new parameters have not substantially affected the Costa Mesa Police Department’s normal operational practices, nor have they impeded our ability to provide quality services to the community.”

Council members have various options available to them Tuesday. They could, for instance, adopt a resolution or an ordinance opposing or supporting SB 54 or request more information.

They also could opt not to do anything. Last year, Mansoor asked his colleagues to send a letter opposing SB 54 but was unable to get a third council member to join him and Righeimer in supporting that.

California’s “sanctuary” laws, including SB 54, have become increasingly controversial in recent months, and several Orange County cities have taken stands to oppose them.

President Trump’s administration has filed a lawsuit contending that the laws obstruct federal immigration law and thus violate the Constitution’s supremacy clause, which gives federal law precedence over state law.

Earlier this month, the Huntington Beach City Council approved filing a lawsuit against California and the state attorney general to challenge the legality of the mandates.

Fountain Valley chose a different tact, with council members deciding to join a court brief supporting the federal lawsuit. The Newport Beach City Council passed a resolution opposing SB 54 and said it might follow up with a court brief.

Tuesday’s Costa Mesa meeting starts at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 77 Fair Drive.

luke.money@latimes.com

Twitter @LukeMMoney