Immigrants and cops caught in sanctuary 'war' between Trump and California

The irony is Eddy Estrada is scared of heights.

"You're standing on this pole ... terrified," he said.But for $17.34 US an hour, plus benefits, the 32-year-old is willing to swing fromscaffolding like a lemur.

Two thousand workers are being hiredto renovateL.A. Memorial Coliseum, which is whyEstrada was among the hundreds lined up at a recent construction job fair in downtown Los Angeles.

He saidhe's hoping to help build America, and in doing so, build a better life for his family.But these days he's less worried about falling from a great height than he is falling afoul of federal immigration agents, which he saidhave been suddenly active in California's Latino communities.

"You have people coming over here because that's the American dream to come for a better life, and thenthey're being placed up against the wall," Estrada said. "It affects me personally."

Sanctuary state

Many at theconstruction job fair wereundocumented, like Ecuador's Homero Ayala,who saidsome employers feel suddenly emboldened to mistreat workers now that the immigration officials are more actively trying to deport illegal immigrants.

"If you make any demands or complaints, they say they will call the police and you're out of there,"Ayala says in Spanish."That's the problem when you don't have papers."

Ayala saysthey're "caught in the middle of the latest war" between D.C. and California.The casus belli: California'srecently enacted sanctuary laws, whichlimit the ability of state officialsto helpthe federal government enforceimmigration policy.

Trump to visit California as sanctuary state grapples with illegal immigration

7 years ago

Duration 2:58

U.S. President Donald Trump is set to visit California for the first time since he was elected, as the state deals with the impact of new sanctuary laws on illegal immigrants. CBC News spoke to some of the real people caught in the middle of the debate, including those without papers and those charged with enforcing the law

According to SB 54, ifanyundocumented person is arrested by police, immigration officials aren't allowed totell federal agents when they will be released, nor can theytransfer undocumented immigrants directly into federal custody unless they've committeda serious crime. AB 450 meansemployers have to give workers 72 hours' notice before their workplace is inspected by immigration. AndAB 103gives California the power to review conditions in facilities where immigrants are being detained.

'They wait at 7-Elevens'

Since the laws were passed last October, U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedlyexpressed his displeasure.And, as if in response, raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)seem to have increased in 2018, says carpenter Eduardo Sauceda, who wasmanning a stall at the construction job fair.

"The ICE agents, they wait at 7-Elevens, they go to the Walmarts and they try to fish in who they can," Sauceda said.

On March 7,U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions travelled to Sacramento to announce a legal challenge toCalifornia's sanctuary laws.

"I can't sit by idly while the lawful authorities of federal officers are being blocked by a legislative action of politicians," Sessions said at a gathering hosted by theCalifornia Peace Officers' Association.

'A grudge match'

Immigration lawyer and University of Southern Californialaw professorJean Reisz believes Sessions' casehas legal merit, but saysthe state should beon firm legal groundas long it doesn't actively hinder federal immigration.

"I don't think it's a strong case for thegovernment;I think that it is somewhat of a grudge match between California and the federal administration,"Reiszsaid."The argument that this state has to bend to whatever will the federal government wants to impose is not a right founded in the Constitution."

In an act of legal ju-jitsu,Sessions said the government's suitwas based on a partially successful Supreme Court challenge by the Obama administration. In the 2012 case against the so-called"show me your papers" law, the Obama administrationalleged Arizona violatedfederal immigration laws. In striking down three of the four provisions of the Arizona law as unconstitutional, theSupreme Court generally affirmed the concept of federal supremacy in matters of immigration. But Reisz says "there'sno direct parallel with the situation in Arizona.

"In this case California is seeking to not co-operate with federal enforcement when it's not legally required to, so it's not really making laws to regulate immigration," Reisz said. "The real question is are they interfering with the federal government's ability to enforce immigration. And what I've seen from the laws, they aren't."

'They don't even believe in the flag'

Some see it differently inWhittier, Calif., a city of about 90,000 people30 kilometressoutheast of Los Angeles.At a recentrally to support anti-crime legislation, the crowd spokewith one voice:No sanctuary.

"Sanctuary in what terms?" askedJerry Warner."You have to ask yourself what exactly does that mean? Does that mean it's harbouring and protecting criminals over the citizens?They don't even believe in the flag. So you tell me what, you know, what kind of people we want here."

"Good for Sessions,"GraceWahrmanagreed. "Finally he's stepping outand doing what the American people want."

"We're going to take the State of California back againand make it a great state the way it used to be," saidDenis Gregorian.

Sessions' lawsuit against California is also getting support from many in the law enforcement community.

'Taboo to even do your job'

Ron Hernandez, president of the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, says California's so-called sanctuarylaws mean most criminals who are in the countryillegally get released back onto the streets.

"When something goes too far to one end, then I would I would support anybody pushing hard from the other end," Hernandez said. "From a law enforcement perspective,it's become taboo to even do your job."

Do their job: that's all that many of theapplicants at the construction job fair in downtown L.A.say they want.

"I'm trying to make an honest living and support my family," Estrada said. "They'remessing with people's livelihoods."

Forget Sessions, forget sanctuary, says Estrada. Hejust wantsto work.