The city of El Cajon sues California, alleges state ‘sanctuary' laws illegally entice undocumented immigrants

The city of El Cajon has sued the state of California over its so-called sanctuary laws, arguing that offering undocumented immigrants drivers' licenses and workplace protections, as well as prohibiting local police from working with immigration agents, amounts to illegal enticement under the federal statute that outlaws human smuggling.

The City Council voted 3-2 on Tuesday to pursue the litigation, which alleges in part that the El Cajon Police Department and its officers risk being held civilly and criminally liable under federal law if they follow California's SB 54 and other state laws that limit their ability to work with federal immigration authorities.

Though the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the legality of SB 54 in 2019, the lawsuit filed Tuesday challenges that law and others on different legal grounds. It alleges that California's various laws offering some benefits to undocumented immigrants amount to a violation of part of the human-smuggling statute - U.S. Code Section 1324 - that makes it a felony when a person "encourages or induces an alien to come to, enter, or reside in the United States."

The suit, filed in San Diego Superior Court by the America First Policy Institute, also alleges that California's sanctuary laws are subordinate to federal law.

"Under the Constitution, federal law is supreme," Richard Lawson, the vice chair of litigation for the America First Policy Institute, said at a news conference Wednesday. "These sanctuary laws are designed to … frustrate and obstruct and defeat federal law … That's what's the legal issue at play."

Attorney General Rob Bonta, the named defendant in the lawsuit, said El Cajon "should prepare for another" legal defeat. Countering arguments made by El Cajon leaders and the America First Policy Institute on Wednesday, he said SB 54 was about promoting public safety, not undermining it.

"There have been endless attempts to lie and gaslight the public about SB 54, but here's the truth: anyone, regardless of immigration status, who commits a crime can be held accountable under California law. Period," Bonta said in a statement. "SB 54 is a pro-public safety law that encourages witnesses and victims of crime to come forward and work with law enforcement. SB 54 has been upheld in court again and again, and we're prepared to defend it from a baseless attack once more."

At Wednesday's news conference, El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells and Councilmember Steve Goble argued that El Cajon police officers have been restrained from doing their jobs and protecting the community because of SB 54. Wells said California is now "the worst state in the union" because of Sacramento politicians.

"The first thing I think we need to do to reclaim our state, and bring it back to the glory that it once was, (is) to force the state of California to come to a reckoning with the rule of law, and to follow the law that is set forth by the United States Constitution," Wells said.

Tuesday's City Council vote and the subsequent lawsuit represented a continuation of multiple disputes that have been ongoing for more than a year in El Cajon.

In October, Bonta sued the city, alleging that it is unlawfully sharing data collected from automated license plate readers with other states - a practice the attorney general and immigrant advocates argue could help federal authorities track immigrants, among other vulnerable populations.

In February 2025, the council voted 3-2 to support a resolution that asserted the city's commitment to comply with federal immigration enforcement. Councilmember Phil Ortiz joined Wells and Goble on both votes, while Deputy Mayor Michelle Metschel and Councilmember Gary Kendrick voted against both last year's resolution and Tuesday's proposal to pursue litigation.

"Just like last year when I voted against the city's resolution, I think this (lawsuit) is political theater," Metschel told the Union-Tribune on Wednesday.

Kendrick said he was "very upset about the lawsuit," pointing out that SB 54 is designed to ensure that all community members feel safe reporting crimes to police. He said that is especially important in El Cajon, which has a large population of racial minorities and immigrants.

"SB 54 went all the way to the appellate court during the first Trump administration, and the Supreme Court refused to hear it," Kendrick said. "As I've said many times, that's the reason I've opposed the resolution. I asked the city attorney a year ago, ‘Is SB 54 the law of the land?' And he said, ‘Yes.'"

Though the newly filed lawsuit addresses questions of federal law, El Cajon and the America First Policy Institute filed it in state court. Lawson, the institute's vice chair of litigation and the lead attorney in the case, said that was because "federal courts want disputes between municipalities and their sovereign states addressed in state court first, as a general rule."

_____

Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published April 29, 2026 at 10:52 PM.