What are Sanctuary cities and how do they work? A breakdown of policies behind the California Values Act

COACHELLA, California (KESQ) -- As protests over recent ICE Operations continue, some California cities say they will not aid federal agents in any way regarding matters over immigration enforcement. Many of these cities are known as "Sanctuary cities", and there are several right here in the Coachella Valley. Here, Palm Springs, Cathedral City, and Coachella, are all designated as sanctuary cities. These cities prioritize local public safety and limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, offering a degree of protection for undocumented residents. 

"For the city of Coachella, the "Sanctuary city" status essentially says that we will not use any of our resources in the city of Coachella to assist federal immigration enforcement," said Mayor Steven Hernandez. "We don't ask the questions, "are you a citizen or not", in any of our paperwork that's required to get services in the city. So we don't even have that information."

Nancy Ross, the Mayor for Cathedral City also had a similar comment.

"Our police department, our city, we don't ask our citizens where they're from," said Ross. "It doesn't matter to us, but it matters a lot to the federal government."

According to Global Refuge, a "sanctuary city" refers to a policy that limits or defines the extent to which a local or state government will share information with federal immigration law officers. But how is this allowed?

The California Values Act, otherwise known as SB 54, is a law that was passed in the state of California that significantly allows for the limitation of the cooperation between state and local law enforcement agencies and federal immigration enforcement agencies like ICE. 

It restricts the use of state and local resources for immigration enforcement, aiming to protect the safety and well-being of all Californians, says a source on ICE Out of California. 

However, Sanctuary cities have their limits, according to Ross and Claudio Koren, a Legal Center Staff Attorney with TODEC.

"We had border patrol cars and big vans in our city day after day, scooping people up," said the Cathedral City Mayor. "We cannot defend them because it's the national government that's doing it.”

"Sanctuary doesn't mean that city police or law enforcement will help protect people from immigration enforcement, for an arrest, or for a detention," said Koren."They will not do it. Nobody can interfere or stop immigration authorities from doing their job. Especially people with criminal history or detentions, those kind of things, the law in California is very, very explicit in deciding and telling the authorities you have to help immigration authorities in those situations. But this is why so so important that people individually know their rights and what they can do."

Hernandez agrees.

"I think my message to folks that are undocumented or a family member, is to have a plan," said Hernandez. "Really understand your rights. If you have folks that go to your door without a warrant, you don't have to let them in. This is a country where you got to have warrants to enter into your property, you know you don't have to let them in. You know, have a plan where your children or your family knows what to do."

Despite having a sanctuary city status, Mayor Ross says there is only so much the city can do to protect non-citizens during ICE operations. And now, she has questions that she wants answers to regarding some of her constituents that were taken away in operations in her city last week. She says she has reached out to officials as well as the embassy to find information.

"Unfortunately, I think this is only the beginning. This will happen again, said Ross. "Where are our people. Where did they take them? Where are they getting any kind of protection? Is there going to be any right to a trial? Are they ever going to come back? Are they gone forever? Have our people been taken away forever. Where are our people?"