The federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement released a “directive” last month regarding “civil immigration enforcement actions inside federal, state, and local courthouses.” Agents now are generally expected to “avoid enforcement actions” in those courts “dedicated to non-criminal . . . proceedings” and to not take action against “aliens” other than those who are enforcement “targets,” apparently intending to give some sense of safety to “family members or friends accompanying the target alien to court appearances or serving as a witness in a proceeding.”
Immigration enforcement in California courts is an issue about which Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye has been outspoken, starting last March when she protested agents using courthouses “as bait” to “stalk” undocumented immigrants. This week, she responded to the ICE action with a statement: “If followed correctly, this written directive is a good start. It’s essential that we protect the integrity of our state court justice system and protect the people who use it.”
Meanwhile, the legislation to make it illegal in many situations for federal immigration agents to enter California courthouses and other state-owned buildings passed the State Senate on Monday.