Jerry Brown vetoes California bill to bar immigration arrests at courthouses

ICE agents detain a suspect inside Fresno County Superior Court in July 2018. ICE agents detain a suspect inside Fresno County Superior Court in July 2018. Photo: Pablo Lopez / TNS Photo: Pablo Lopez / TNS Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Jerry Brown vetoes California bill to bar immigration arrests at courthouses 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a bill Thursday that would have ensured undocumented immigrants would not face civil arrest when going to court on another matter.

SB349 by Sen. Ricardo Lara, D-Bell Gardens (Los Angeles County), would have prevented civil arrests of any kind as long as a person was at the court for a legal proceeding. The bill would not have applied to criminal arrests at a courthouse.

“I support the underlying intent of this measure, but I am concerned that it may have unintended consequences,” Brown wrote in his veto message.

Immigrant advocates contend that making civil arrests at courthouses has a chilling effect, causing undocumented immigrants to shy away from testifying or appearing in court. Federal Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents have made courthouse arrests across the country, including inside a Sacramento County Superior Courtroom last month.

ICE officials have blamed the courthouse arrests in California on the state’s sanctuary law, which Brown signed last year. It limits the extent to which local law enforcement agencies in California can help enforce federal immigration laws.

Brown said that under the law, the state attorney general must draw up policies for limiting immigration enforcement at courthouses and other public facilities.

“I believe the prudent path is to allow for that guidance to be released before enacting new laws in this area,” Brown wrote in his veto message.

In a statement, Lara said he hopes the attorney general’s policy will help protect the “fair administration of justice.”

“When people are afraid to be witnesses or plead their cases,” Lara said, “it puts the integrity of our courts at risk.”

Melody Gutierrez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mgutierrez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @MelodyGutierrez