Measure introduced by Reyes would protect the legal process for all in California by preventing indiscriminate arrests by ICE agents at scheduled court appearances
Sacramento, CA — Senator Eloise Gómez Reyes (D–Colton), today introduced legislation that aims to prevent federal immigration agents from disrupting regularly scheduled court appearances with unannounced and indiscriminate arrests. SB 873, once amended in the coming weeks, will provide legal assurances that Californians are safe from immigration agents in and around the grounds of a courthouse.
“The issue is clear cut,” said Senator Reyes. “One of the core responsibilities of government is to protect people – not to inflict terror on them. California is not going to let the federal government make political targets out of people trying to be good stewards of the law. Discouraging people from coming to court makes our community less safe. I look forward to the robust discussions that will come from this measure, and ultimately, toward providing relief to impacted communities across the state.”
“Using courthouses as arrest sites turns access to justice into a trap,” said Kate Chatfield, Executive Director of the California Public Defenders Association. “It drives people away from courts, harms public safety, and erodes trust in the rule of law. This past year, we have seen people terrorized in and around courthouses by ICE arrests. We are pleased that Senator Reyes is championing legislation to protect California’s residents and California’s justice system.”
SB 873 was introduced on January 6 and will be amended to include substantive language in the coming weeks. To learn more about Reyes, visit https://sd29.senate.ca.gov/.
