SACRAMENTO – U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez on Monday dismissed most of the federal government’s lawsuit seeking to invalidate three 2017 California immigration laws – SB 54, California Values Act; AB 103, relating to the review of detention facilities; and AB 450, the Immigrant Worker Protection Act.

Mendez dismissed the United States’ claims in their entirety with respect to SB 54 and AB 103.

“Today’s decision is a victory for our State’s ability to safeguard the privacy, safety and constitutional rights of all our people,” California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said in a statement.

“Though the Trump Administration may continue to attack a state like California and its ability to make its own laws, we will continue to protect our constitutional authority to protect our residents and the rule of law,” Becerra said.

On March 6, 2018, the federal government filed a lawsuit against the State of California, seeking to strike down three laws passed by the state legislature.

On May 4, 2018, the state Attorney General filed a motion to dismiss the federal government’s lawsuit.

In the motion, Becerra argued that the three laws are consistent with the Immigration and Nationality Act and do not undermine the federal government’s ability to enforce federal immigration laws.

Becerra stated that the Trump lawsuit, if successful, would break the trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve, have detrimental impacts on workplace productivity, and cloak the treatment of people in civil detention facilities in secrecy.

On July 5, 2018, Becerra secured another key legal victory in this case when Judge Mendez denied the federal government’s attempt to halt SB 54 and AB 103 through a preliminary injunction.