Small border town goes to war with California over ICE: ‘Most important days of my life’
The city of El Cajon, California, has filed a lawsuit against the state's sanctuary laws, arguing that they conflict with federal immigration law and expose local police to criminal liability. Mayor Bill Wells and city officials claim the laws hinder their ability to protect the community and respond to federal requests, such as welfare checks on unaccompanied minors. California Attorney General Rob Bonta dismissed the lawsuit as baseless, reaffirming that state law allows accountability for crimes regardless of immigration status.
- ▪El Cajon, a border city in California, filed a lawsuit challenging the state's sanctuary laws through the America First Policy Institute.
- ▪The lawsuit argues that California's provision of benefits to undocumented immigrants violates a federal law against encouraging illegal residency.
- ▪Local officials claim state laws prevent police from cooperating with federal immigration authorities and conducting welfare checks on unaccompanied children.
- ▪California Attorney General Rob Bonta defended the sanctuary laws, stating they have been consistently upheld in court.
- ▪El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells cited public safety concerns, linking increased crime and homelessness to the influx of undocumented border crossers.
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Politics Small border town goes to war with California over ICE: ‘Most important days of my life’ By Titus Wu Published April 30, 2026, 3:14 p.m. ET A California city near the Mexican border has had enough of the state’s openness toward illegal immigrants — now taking the state’s sanctuary laws to court. El Cajon, led by Republican mayor Bill Wells, just filed a lawsuit against the state’s sanctuary laws after its city council earlier in the week voted to pursue litigation. California has a law limiting law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities. “This might be one of the most important days of my life,” Wells said at a press conference.
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