A federal judge has dismissed Huntington Beach’s lawsuit challenging California’s sanctuary law, known as the California Values Act or SB54.
The law limits cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. On December 1, Judge Sunshine S. Sykes of the US District Court for the Central District of California ruled that Huntington Beach lacked the standing to challenge the law in federal court. The judge cited a Ninth Circuit precedent, which states that political subdivisions, including charter cities like Huntington Beach, cannot raise federal constitutional claims against their own state’s statutes.
Huntington Beach filed the lawsuit in January, arguing that the California Values Act conflicted with federal immigration, criminal, and civil rights laws. The city had also declared itself a non-sanctuary city. The U.S. Justice Department supported Huntington Beach, calling the California Values Act unconstitutional. However, California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that the city lacked standing to challenge the law. Following the court’s decision, Bonta stated, “The court has dismissed Huntington Beach’s meritless lawsuit challenging CA’s pro-public safety, pro-trust law.”
The case was dismissed without prejudice, allowing Huntington Beach the option to sue again. This is not the first time the city has faced legal setbacks over the California Values Act. Both Huntington Beach and the Trump Administration unsuccessfully challenged the law in 2018, the year it was enacted.
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