San Dimas abandoned any action opposing California’s so-called sanctuary state law despite hearing hours of impassioned pleas from both sides on the issue.

San Dimas was the latest city to consider voicing its opposition to a new law which limits cooperation with federal immigration officials. Had Councilman Ryan Vienna’s resolution passed, it would have been the first in Los Angeles County.

Other cities, notably Los Alamitos in Orange County, the first, and Upland in San Bernardino County, the closest to San Dimas, have voted to publicly oppose the law, also known as Senate Bill 54 or the “California Values Act,” approved by the state Legislature last year. Huntington Beach, also in OC, plans to sue the state over it.

Vienna’s motion failed 2-3 shortly after midnight Wednesday morning after hours of debate, with decorum occasionally breaking down. Vienna and Councilman Emmett Badar were the only supporters of the resolution. After the vote, opponents of the state bill voiced their displeasure, yelling, “Cowards,” and chanting, “Shame on you!”

Motion fails 2-3. Following vote crowd begins to chant “cowards” and “shame on you” pic.twitter.com/x9ZFj3nb6d — Liset Márquez (@JournaLiset) April 25, 2018

Sheriff’s deputies were on hand to keep order and at the meeting’s end, stood between opposing sides to guarantee peace.

Mayor Curt Morris and Councilman Denis Bertone echoed opinions they expressed at an earlier meeting — also lively, where the subject was just putting the topic on a future agenda — that SB 54 is not an issue the city should tackle.

Councilman John Ebiner, who didn’t make his stance clear until the meeting’s tail end, questioned whether approving the resolution would bring any meaningful change locally.

“What I’d like to do is vote on this and get past it and get back to being the kind of city that we all know and love,” he said. “The Sheriff’s Department is not going to change its behavior in any way by us voting a symbolic resolution against SB 54.”

The San Dimas City Council chambers filled April 24, 2018 when the council considered a resolution that would have voiced opposition to the California Values Act, the so-called sanctuary state law. Pictured here are supporters of such a proposal. (Liset Marquez/SCNG)

The San Dimas City Council chambers filled April 24, 2018 when the council considered a resolution that would have voiced opposition to the California Values Act, the so-called sanctuary state law. Pictured here are opponents of such a move. (Liset Marquez/SCNG)

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After the resolution before the San Dimas City Council to oppose the California Values Act, the so-called sanctuary state law, fails, opponents — including Professor Jose Calderon, hug. San Dimas, California. April 25, 2018. (Liset Marquez’/SCNG)

Before the meeting, the city of San Dimas set up monitors outside in anticipation of a crowd, both for and against a proposed resolution that would have voiced opposition to the California Values Act, the so-called sanctuary state law. It failed after five hours of discussion. April 24, 2018. San Dimas, California. (Liset Marquez/SCNG)

An overflow area was set up outside of council chambers for the April 24, 2018, meeting at San Dimas City Council, during which a resolution to oppose the California Values Act, the so-called sanctuary state law, was proposed. It failed. San Dimas, California. (Liset Marquez/SCNG)



A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy stands between speakers who were yelling at Tuesday’s San Dimas City Council after a motion failed that would have symbolically voiced opposition to the California Values Act, the so-called sanctuary state law. San Dimas, California. April 25, 2018. (Liset Marquez/SCNG)

Ebiner was referencing a report from City Attorney Mark Steres and Assistant Sheriff Eddie Rivero, who outlined how the bill works and under what circumstances it could impact the city. The law establishes safe zones in all public schools, public libraries, courthouses and health facilities operated by the state or local government.

But San Dimas does not operate any of those, Steres said.

The California Values Act also doesn’t directly impact San Dimas because the city doesn’t operate its own jail. Detention is provided by the Sheriff’s Department, with which San Dimas contracts to provide law enforcement, Rivero said.

“Our policy is very clear, even prior to Senate Bill 54: We do not ask for a person’s immigration status. It is not what our men and women do in the field and it is not what our men and women do in the jails,” he said.

The San Dimas station has a Type 1 jail, a holding facility. All inmates are transferred to the main jail in downtown Los Angeles to serve any sentence, if convicted.

“We don’t turn over folks from the San Dimas station to (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement). They have to be convicted and serve their time. They don’t serve their time in San Dimas,” Rivero said.

Although Ebiner believes the law was a mistake, he said the proposed vote early Wednesday morning would simply serve to voice “what we really think about the state, and I don’t think we would have a real effect and it would probably be more divisive than we’d like it to be.”

Morris said he would rather not get involved because he believes the dispute is between the state and the federal governments, which will most likely end up in the U.S. Supreme Court.

Vienna disagreed, saying SB 54 and its companion legislation — Assembly Bill 450, which requires employers notify employees if ICE will hold an audit — puts cities in conflict with their oath of office, to uphold the federal constitution. Vienna said federal law preempts state law whenever the two conflict.

“All politics are local, and that’s why we’re discussing this tonight, and why this is so important,” Vienna said. “Regardless of what your position is, it’s clear there are people in this community who are impacted by this.”

For about four hours, the council heard from more than 60 speakers, some residents and others from as far away as Rancho Palos Verdes. Mario Lopez, a deacon at Holy Name of Mary Catholic Church in San Dimas, asked the council support SB 54. He believes the immigrant community is an integral part of “who we are as a society, and a big part of our collective achievements.

“I am here because I believe we have to protect our families who live in this community. We cannot allow the separation of families. We cannot allow that children be practically abandoned,” Lopez said.

David Ireland, a 26-year resident, said the only thing this issue has done is to create a lot of division and name-calling. Ireland also said it was a mistake to look at it as an immigration issue but added he didn’t support SB 54.

San Dimas resident Betty Lamb was only a handful of speakers who asked the city remain neutral on the debate. Because the city doesn’t run its own college, courthouse or school district, SB 54 has no direct impact on San Dimas.

“No action is required by the city,” she said. “Not even a declaration as a sanctuary city or to opt out.”

Instead, Lamb said San Dimas should should be focusing on local issues, such as homelessness, and “let Sacramento, D.C. and Los Alamitos fight (SB 54) out in the courts where it belongs.”

After the resolution was defeated, Vienna asked the council if there was any desire to have an amended resolution come back to the council, or to file a friend-of-the-court brief in support of Huntington Beach.

“We have decided by default that we’re doing nothing,” Morris told Vienna.