A Southern California city is taking a direct challenge to the state’s immigration policies, arguing that local law enforcement has been put in a difficult position by sanctuary laws.
El Cajon, a city near the U.S.-Mexico border, has filed a lawsuit against California over its limits on cooperation between local police and federal immigration authorities. The move follows a vote by the city council earlier this week to pursue legal action. Mayor Bill Wells, a Republican, framed the decision as a significant moment for the city.
“This might be one of the most important days of my life,” Wells said during a press conference announcing the lawsuit.
At the center of the dispute is California’s sanctuary law, which restricts how much local law enforcement can work with federal immigration officials. The law has already been upheld in court, including surviving a challenge that reached the U.S. Supreme Court in 2020. But El Cajon’s lawsuit introduces a different argument.
The complaint claims that certain state policies — including offering driver’s licenses and workplace protections to undocumented immigrants — could conflict with federal law. Specifically, it points to a statute that makes it a crime to “encourage or induce” someone to enter or remain in the country unlawfully. The lawsuit argues that by enforcing California’s policies, local officials could be exposed to federal legal risk.
The case was filed in San Diego Superior Court by the America First Policy Institute, a conservative group with ties to Trump administration officials. One of its attorneys, Richard Lawson, previously served in that administration.
City leaders say the issue is not just legal theory but something they’ve encountered in practice. Wells and Councilmember Steve Goble both argued that state restrictions have limited what local officers can do, even in situations involving public safety. They pointed to an instance last year when the Department of Homeland Security asked the city to assist with welfare checks on unaccompanied minors. According to city officials, the state attorney general’s office blocked that request under sanctuary law.
“I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I was,” Goble said. “The state said, ‘No, you cannot do welfare checks on children.’”
California Attorney General Rob Bonta dismissed the lawsuit, calling it another attempt to mislead the public about the state’s policies. He emphasized that immigration status does not shield anyone from being prosecuted for crimes under California law.
“Anyone, regardless of immigration status, who commits a crime can be held accountable,” Bonta said, adding that the state is prepared to defend the law again in court.
El Cajon has been vocal about immigration issues before. Wells has said some residents feel increasingly unsafe, pointing to concerns about crime and homelessness. He has also criticized other local efforts, including proposals in San Diego County to expand legal support for immigrants facing deportation.
For now, the lawsuit sets up another legal fight over how far states and cities can go in shaping their own approach to immigration enforcement, an issue that continues to divide officials at every level of government.
