Calif. Close To Passing "Anti-Arizona" Bill

Being "anti-Arizona" comes as a makeshift battle cry to the state of California, with its two-thirds majority supporting the rights of undocumented immigrants, and those immigrants making up 7 percent of the state's population.

The California Senate approved a bill Thursday that restricts just how much law enforecement officers can cooperate with federal immigration efforts. The law would prevent officers from detaining suspects for possible deportation unless the suspect has a previous conviction for a serious or violent felony, reports the Los Angeles Times.

The law would protect the state’s 2.55 million illegal immigrants from being detained and even deported for minor legal issues like traffic infractions and misdemeanors or arrests that never led to a conviction. Directly defying recent Republican-backed immigration crackdowns, supporters have dubbed the California Trust Act the “anti-Arizona” bill. It has garnered the backing of 100-some immigrant right groups, police chiefs, and mayors, according to Reuters.

California stands far on one end of the national spectrum, opposite not just Arizona, but several other states that have passed strict laws discouraging illegal immigrants in recent years. Fox News warns the legislation may turn California into a sanctuary state for non-felon illegal immigrants.

The Trust Act passed the also Democrat-controlled state Assembly in a 47-26 vote, and will return there for a concurrence vote before landing on the governor’s desk. Gov. Jerry Brown has not publicly stated whether he will sign the legislation.