As reported by Mercury News on July 10, 2018

"In the first courtroom discussion about a lawsuit titled “City of Huntington Beach v. The State of California,” The State of California was a no-show.

Despite the defendant’s absence Monday, July 9, Orange County Superior Court Judge James Crandall set deadlines and dates for what comes next in litigation challenging the SB54 California Values Act – also known as the state sanctuary law.

Filed in April by Huntington Beach City Attorney Michael Gates, the lawsuit claims SB54 unconstitutionally interferes with the city’s charter authority to enforce local laws and regulations, including the operation of the police department.

Signed into law last year, Senate Bill 54 was spurred by President Donald Trump’s plan to step up immigration enforcement. It limits interaction between local law enforcement and federal immigration officials — with exceptions, including cases that involve violent or “serious” felonies.

Last week, the state filed a motion to delay the lawsuit’s hearing until after a federal lawsuit against California has been resolved. In March, the Trump administration filed a suit against California arguing that its sanctuary laws are unconstitutional."