Another California city plots becoming sanctuary city for illegal migrants

Another California city could soon join the state’s list of sanctuary jurisdictions after a proposal urging Bakersfield to adopt the policy for illegal migrants sparked a heated debate.The proposal—backed by the Kern County Young Democrats—was raised during Wednesday’s City Council meeting, where activists urged officials to declare it a sanctuary city following three deaths this month during ICE arrests.Several speakers also pointed to immigration sweeps in Kern County in January 2025.Vice Mayor Manpreet Kaur and Councilman Andrae Gonzales each voiced support for taking up the issue, though they proposed different approaches.California's top news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every day.

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Never miss a story Kaur asked City Attorney Virginia “Ginny” Gennaro to return at the council’s next meeting with guidance on organizing a Transparent Review of Unjust Transfers and Holds (TRUTH) Act forum—which allows local governments to review whether local law enforcement agencies granted U.S.Immigration and Customs Enforcement access to people in custody during the previous year.Gonzales instead referred the matter to the council’s Laws and Legislation Committee to explore a formal sanctuary city policy, saying immigration enforcement was “nothing short of, you know, terrorizing our neighborhoods and our communities, immigrant communities, and frankly, many of our citizens who are also people of color.”He claimed the city should send “a clear message to our community and to the rest of the country” that every tax-paying member of the community should be treated with dignity and humanity.Residents who addressed the council also urged city leaders to act.Longtime resident Manny Ramirez called on officials to revisit the issue at their next meeting after quoting the last words of a ...