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Long Beach Values Act: City to Discipline Employees Who Defy Sanctuary Policies

LONG BEACH, CA – The Long Beach Values Act, started in 2018, protects immigrants by limiting how the city works with federal immigration agents. On January 7, 2025, the city strengthened it, adding rules like training city workers to block Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from non-public city areas and punishing workers who don’t follow the rules.

The Act says Long Beach Police won’t help ICE unless there’s a court order. It also stops the city from sharing personal info, like immigration status, with ICE. New changes include “No Entry” signs on city property and a program for businesses to become “Safe Places” for immigrants. The city added $200,000 to the Long Beach Justice Fund to help pay for lawyers for people facing deportation.

Some question if the Act breaks federal law. The Trump Administration called Long Beach a “sanctuary city” in May 2025, saying it might face penalties for not helping ICE. Federal law says cities can’t block immigration enforcement, but California’s Values Act (SB 54) supports Long Beach’s rules by limiting state and local police from working with ICE. A federal judge once ruled against punishing cities like Long Beach for this. Still, some worry the city could lose federal money, like the $315 million it got last year, if the Trump Administration challenges it.

Critics, like local group ÓRALE, say the Act still allows some cooperation with ICE for serious crimes. They also want people to be able to sue the city if it doesn’t follow the Act, but officials say this could lead to costly lawsuits. The city will review the Act again in six months.

“We need to continue to place a focus on why we’re in this situation is because of the federal government,” Mayor Rex Richardson said. “ This is a situation that was brought upon us, not something that we welcome.”

The City of Long Beach has allocated specific funds to support the Long Beach Values Act and related initiatives, particularly through the Long Beach Justice Fund and broader budget plans.

•  Long Beach Justice Fund: The city has committed $200,000 for legal defense services to help immigrants facing deportation. This money supports organizations like Western State College of Law and Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project. Additionally, $361,075 funds community organizations (like ÓRALE, Filipino Migrant Center, and United Cambodian Community) for outreach and education.

•  Broader Budget for Immigrant Protections: In the proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget, Mayor Rex Richardson suggested reserving $5 million for immigrant assistance and legal defense, including the Justice Fund, emergency aid, and the “Safe Place” business certification program. This is part of a $3.7 billion city budget, but it’s not clear if all $5 million is only for the Values Act or includes other programs like housing and homelessness support.

City employees who disobey these sanctuary policies face serious consequences. If a worker, like a police officer or city staff, shares immigration information with ICE or lets agents into restricted city areas without a court order, they could get a warning, be suspended, demoted, or even fired. Residents can report violations through an online portal run by the city’s Human Resources Department, and vendors who don’t follow the rules may lose their contracts.

The Long Beach Values Act aims to keep immigrants safe and build trust with police. But with possible legal fights and federal funding at risk, questions remain: Can Long Beach keep its protections without breaking federal law? For now, the city stands firm, but the debate continues.

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