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CV NEWS FEED // A California politician is introducing a bill to end the state’s “sanctuary” status for illegal immigrants involved in sex trafficking.
The Sacramento Bee reported that the bill was announced Jan. 27 and is sponsored by Assemblywoman Kate Sanchez (R-Temecula). The Bee added “the bill would completely exempt sex traffickers from the state law prohibiting local law enforcement from cooperating with the feds.”
As the bill stands now, it is not clear whether it will affect convicted sex traffickers or whether it will also apply to those who are accused but not convicted of sex trafficking. The Bee added that current California law exempts convicted sex traffickers from the sanctuary protections.
“This legislation will help law enforcement crackdown on transnational traffickers while prioritizing the protection and recovery of survivors,” Sanchez said.
The bill will likely head in the spring to the Assembly Public Safety Committee for hearings. The Committee is chaired by former prosecutor Nick Schultz (D-Burbank), the Bee reported, noting that Schultz has a “track record of going after human traffickers.”
Sanchez said in a press release that human trafficking in the state is “tearing apart families, exploiting the vulnerable, and robbing individuals of their freedom.”
“This reprehensible evil thrives in the shadows — powered by greed, fear, and silence. Silence is not an option,” she continued.
The release noted that the bill has not yet been posted online.
Sanchez is also sponsoring a bill this legislative session that would ban male students from playing in female high school sports in California.
