Outgoing California Gov. Jerry Brown said the death of police officer Ronil Singh has “nothing” to do with the state’s “sanctuary” status.
Singh, a 33-year-old Newman police corporal, was allegedly killed by an illegal immigrant when Singh stopped him on the suspicion of drunk driving early in the morning on Dec. 26. After a two-day manhunt, Mexican national Gustavo Perez Arriaga, 32, was arrested as he was preparing to flee to Mexico, according to authorities. He has been charged with murder.
Brown was asked by ABC-affiliate KXTV whether California’s sanctuary law was at fault. “I think people now are looking to blame somebody because of the terrible things that happened,” the Democrat told the outlet, adding, “but it had nothing to do with the law of California.”
Brown signed a “sanctuary state” bill in 2017 that limits law enforcement officers’ cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson, whose county includes Newman, has blamed Senate Bill 54 for the shooting death. But Brown pushed back on the criticism to KXTV, saying Arriaga’s past arrests and two convictions of drunk driving took place before he signed the legislation. “ICE, the immigration people, could have gone out and gotten him. The police or the sheriff could have told the immigration service,” he said.
President Trump cited Singh’s death in a Dec. 27 tweet advocating for a southern border wall, the funding of which is the basis of a political fight that led to a partial government shutdown.
Ending his second stint as California governor, Brown will be replaced in the governor’s mansion by Democratic Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom on Monday.
