Another challenge to California’s sanctuary laws has materialized. Since the state passed the legislation last year, there has been an aggressive resistance to efforts to protect illegal immigrants — especially those who commit additional crimes while residing in the U.S. Several cities have filed lawsuits against the government in  order to subvert these measures.Now the open borders crowd in the Golden State are facing another opponent: local sheriff’s offices.

The Washington Examiner reported that almost half of the state’s sheriff departments are pushing back against sanctuary laws, arguing that they make it more difficult for them to do their jobs. But will California’s government listen? If the trend continues, they may not have a choice.

California Sheriffs Fight Back

According to The Washington Examiner, a significant number of law enforcement agencies are protesting Governor Jerry Brown’s effort to protect illegal immigrants by forbidding officers to notify Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when they apprehend criminals who are living in the country illegally. But their resistance isn’t limited to arguments; these departments are finding ways to subvert the restrictive limitations that sanctuary laws have placed on them.

The University of Oxford conducted a study analyzing the implementation of the sanctuary law, which is also known as the “California Values Act.” Researchers found that law enforcement agencies are creating ways to work around the legislation. Of course, the people conducting the study were none too happy about the actions of these agencies and criticized their unwillingness to play by the rules. But it’s not likely that California’s police officers are losing any sleep over it.

The study revealed that the law resulted in a 41% decrease in ICE arrests in the state, but the agencies defying the law are clearly preventing this number from rising. In their report, the researchers identified several different methods employed by departments across the state:

• Allowing ICE into jails to arrest illegals in violation of the law.
• Using legal loopholes to publicize the location and release dates of criminal illegal aliens so ICE can apprehend them.
• Continuing to ask illegals about their immigration status.
• Detaining illegal alien criminals longer to buy more time for ICE to come and deport them.

Those who published the report wrote a finger-wagging conclusion, scolding these misbehaving law enforcement officials for daring to try to keep residents safe:

“At a time when the federal administration has been hostile to immigrant communities and has ramped up immigration arrests, detentions, and deportations, it is imperative that Californians are confident that their local, county, and state government will not work to deport them, their family members, friends, co-workers, and neighbors.”

None of the agencies targeted by the report have issued a rebuttal, but it’s not hard to imagine that if they decided to express their views on the document, it would involve the raising of a particular finger followed by a slew of invectives not appropriate to put in this article.

Will the Anti-Sanctuary Movement Succeed?

If you’re the type who thinks borders are important, you’re likely cheering the actions of these departments. Indeed, almost half of California’s population is opposed to the sanctuary status. But will this work? It’s hard to tell.

The progressive establishment in the Golden State is hellbent on ensuring they protect as many illegal immigrants as humanly possible. They are not cowed by the many American victims of aliens who commit violent crimes once they’re here. For them, it’s more important to cultivate a potential future voting base than it is to protect those who live in the country legally.