El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells. (Photo: courtesy of Bill Wells)
Blue states governors like California Governor Gavin Newsom have vowed to fight Trump administration immigration policies, including deportations of criminal illegal aliens.
At the heart of California’s non-existing illegal immigrant enforcement is Senate Bill 54, which now prohibits local police departments and sheriffs’ deputies from assisting Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and enforcing federal immigration laws. But that law conflicts with federal law and federal immigration rules.
California is a “sanctuary state” thanks to Assembly and Senate Democrats and former Gov. Jerry Brown who signed Senate Bill 54 by then-Senate President pro Tem Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles) in 2017.
California’s SB 54 law shielding illegal immigrants violates federal immigration law does not prohibit enforcing state criminal laws, including those against human trafficking, child sexual exploitation, child abuse, or endangerment.
So it was startling to see that when El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells asked the California DOJ a simple question, “If a child in our city is being sex-trafficked by an illegal alien, can we at least do a welfare check on that child?” The answer he received was “No.”
Wells posted on X that the Attorney General’s office said, “That would violate SB-54.” He reacted: “No workaround. No alternative. No explanation for how you’re supposed to save that child. That’s what California’s sanctuary law protects. Not the child. The trafficker.”
We sent a letter to the California DOJ with a simple question:
“If a child in our city is being sex-trafficked by an illegal alien, can we at least do a welfare check on that child?”
The answer? No. That would violate SB-54.
No workaround. No alternative. No explanation for… pic.twitter.com/QG3ERGTi0l
— Bill Wells (@MayorBillWells) March 24, 2026
This stems from a letter Mayor Wells and the City of El Cajon sent last week to California Attorney General Rob Bonta demanding answers:
“How can California’s sanctuary policies be legal when federal law makes it a felony to encourage or induce someone to reside in the United States unlawfully?
SB 54 and related state laws block local police from cooperating with federal immigration authorities. They extend government benefits regardless of legal status. They create economic incentives for people to stay in California without fear of deportation.
El Cajon’s City Council passed a resolution in February 2025 declaring the City’s intent to comply with federal immigration law to the fullest extent. Now we’re asking the Attorney General to explain how the State’s position squares with federal criminal law. We’ve requested a written response by April 22. Our residents deserve to know whether Sacramento is putting politics above the law. We intend to find out.”
Today the City of El Cajon sent a formal letter to California Attorney General Rob Bonta demanding answers.
The question is simple: How can California’s sanctuary policies be legal when federal law makes it a felony to encourage or induce someone to reside in the United States… pic.twitter.com/xExwVexsu4
— Bill Wells (@MayorBillWells) March 17, 2026
So, does doing a welfare check on a child being sex-trafficked by an illegal alien violate California’s SB 54? No. The law’s core intent is to prevent local police from acting as de facto immigration agents or aiding mass deportations/civil immigration proceedings.
Bill analysis from 2017 specifically said, “This bill limits the involvement of state and local law enforcement agencies in federal immigration enforcement.” (09/15/17- Senate Floor Analyses)
SB 54 does not prohibit enforcing state criminal laws, including those against human trafficking, child sexual exploitation, child abuse, or endangerment.
What SB 54 actually does is restrict state and local law enforcement agencies, and school police, from using their resources to assist federal immigration enforcement.
Mayor Wells followed up with another X post when “California told El Cajon police that conducting a welfare check on an unaccompanied child could violate state law — because it might lead to sharing information with federal authorities. Think about that. A child who may have been trafficked or abandoned. And the state says checking on them is the problem.”
Child Sex Trafficking and Welfare Checks
Sex trafficking of a minor, regardless of immigration status, is a serious state crime under California law. SB-54 explicitly lists human trafficking, sexual abuse/exploitation of children, and child abuse/endangerment among the offenses where limited cooperation with federal authorities is permitted.
A welfare check is a core law enforcement function to protect vulnerable individuals and investigate potential crimes against children. It is not “immigration enforcement.”
Performing a welfare check itself falls squarely within allowed state law enforcement activities.
It will be interesting to see any response Mayor Wells receives from the Attorney General, especially with the Trump administration and Congress working to pass the Sanctuary Shutdown Act of 2026, H.R. 7640 by California’s own Rep. Tom McClintock.
25-00701_Response to Councilmember Goble re SB 54 (J. Gonzalez 6-3-25).docx
