Temecula Plans to Sue Border Patrol Again

Already rebuffed once by the courts, the Temecula City Council has told the city attorney to prepare yet another lawsuit against the U.S. Border Patrol, trying again to force it to rewrite its policy on high-speed pursuits.

The city’s initial lawsuit was rejected out of hand last week by a U.S. district judge in Santa Ana, who said that she did not have jurisdiction in the matter and that the federal government was immune to the city’s legal action.

The lawsuit was prompted by a June 2 crash in Temecula as Border Patrol agents chased a stolen Chevrolet Suburban. The Suburban struck another vehicle in front of Temecula Valley High School, killing five residents and an undocumented immigrant.