Orange County joins Fed in suit against California

The Orange County, Calif., Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to join the federal government in a lawsuit against California over the state’s immigration law. California Senate Bill 54, which took effect in January, prohibits local law enforcement from abiding by some federal immigration regulations—in essence, promoting sanctuary city policies for the entire state. The move comes a month after U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced a lawsuit against California’s policies, highlighting the tension between federal immigration laws and local government views on enforcing them. President Donald Trump visited the Golden State earlier this month to inspect border wall prototypes near San Diego. Hundreds of protesters showed up for the president’s visit to advocate on behalf of undocumented immigrants. The Orange County vote also follows a vote by the city council of Los Alamitos, a small town in Orange Country, to exempt itself from the state’s new sanctuary policy. The Trump administration’s lawsuit could also determine how much power the federal government has over state laws.