Sheriff says El Dorado County will resist if California becomes sanctuary state

Leaning back in his chair, his gold sheriff’s badge glinting in a shaft of light, John D’Agostini thought for a second about what he would do if Sacramento legislators imposed San Francisco-style sanctuary laws to protect people living across the state illegally.

His dilemma is part of the complex immigration debate in California, where a bill passed last week by the state Senate would restrict cooperation with U.S. immigration agents everywhere, including not only liberal strongholds but bastions of conservatism like El Dorado County.

To D’Agostini, the proposed law, SB54, is tantamount to coddling criminals, and that doesn’t wash in the historic Gold Rush towns and foothill hamlets he serves. He said he would simply refuse to go along.

“I’m going to follow federal law on this issue,” said the sheriff from his office in Placerville, the county seat so closely associated with frontier justice that it was once known as Hangtown. “It’s concerning because its going to put me crosswise with state law.”

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