Beaumont’s City Council on Tuesday night, April 17, will discuss whether to take a formal position on California’s sanctuary state law intended to shield undocumented immigrants from deportation.

The council’s agenda will include an item for “discussion and if desired, an adoption of official position regarding SB 54, the California Values Act” Beaumont Mayor Nancy Carroll said Friday afternoon, April 13.

The council meeting, which is open to the public, will start at 6 p.m. at Beaumont City Hall, 550 E 6th St.

Local conservative circles have been abuzz about Beaumont becoming the latest Southern California city to weigh in on SB 54, which became law in October and puts new limits on state and local law enforcement’s ability to help the federal government enforce immigration law.

The law is part of a larger effort by California’s Democratic leadership to defy President Donald Trump’s policies, especially his crackdown on illegal immigration. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions flew to Sacramento in March to announce federal litigation to invalidate SB 54 and two other laws.

The Orange County Board of Supervisors voted March 27 to join the federal lawsuit. Other Southern California cities, including Escondido, Yorba Linda and Los Alamitos, have taken actions to show their opposition to SB 54.

SB 54’s critics say the law protects dangerous criminals and encourages illegal immigration. City council meetings where the law is on the agenda are often packed and feature emotional, high-volume testimony, with a dedicated group of SB 54 foes going from city to city urging elected leaders to oppose the law.

SB 54 defenders say Trump’s deportation policies split families apart and target people who aren’t a threat to public safety. It’s not clear whether other Inland cities will take a formal stance on the law, although there currently aren’t any plans for supervisors in Riverside or San Bernardino counties to take up the matter.

Republicans hold a roughly 4-percentage point edge in voter registration in Beaumont, a city of more than 40,000 east of Moreno Valley and west of Palm Springs. Riverside County has a plurality of Democratic voters.

About 42 percent of Beaumont residents are of Latino descent, census figures show.

IF YOU GO

The Beaumont City Council will discuss, and possibly take a position, on SB 54, the California Values Act, also called the sanctuary state law.

When: 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 17

Where: Beaumont City Hall, 550 E. 6th St., Beaumont.