AB 493: Crime: victims and witnesses: immigration violations.

Existing law prohibits a peace officer from detaining an individual exclusively for any actual or suspected immigration violation or reporting or turning the individual over to federal immigration authorities whenever an individual who is a victim of or witness to a hate crime, as defined, or who otherwise can give evidence in a hate crime investigation, is not charged with or convicted of committing any crime under state law.

This bill would enact a prohibition similar to the one described above that would be applicable whenever an individual is a victim of or witness to a crime, or otherwise can give evidence in a criminal investigation, without regard to whether the crime is a hate crime.