Trust Act Signed In California To Limit Deportation Program

California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signed a bill on Saturday limiting the state’s cooperation with federal immigration authorities, a rebuke of a major Obama administration enforcement policy that has led to record deportations from the state. As the Congress stalls on immigration reform, action continues in the states, and advocates and politicians in California hope they can serve as an example of how to do it right. “While Washington waffles on immigration, California’s forging ahead,” Brown said in a press release after signing the legislation into law. “I’m not waiting.” The new California law, known as the Trust Act, limits the state’s cooperation with Se Communities, a federal program that allows the Department of Homeland Security to access fingerprints taken by local police, to screen detained individuals for immigration status and to request that law enforcement agencies hold them if they’re found to be undocumented.