Fact Check: California is a sanctuary state for child slavery.

Fact Check: California is a sanctuary state for child slavery.

Published July 12, 2025
VERDICT
False

# Fact Check: "California is a sanctuary state for child slavery." ## What We Know The claim that "California is a sanctuary state for child slavery"...

Fact Check: "California is a sanctuary state for child slavery."

What We Know

The claim that "California is a sanctuary state for child slavery" is misleading and lacks factual support. California has enacted several laws aimed at combating human trafficking and slavery, including the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act. This act recognizes that slavery and human trafficking are crimes and mandates large retailers and manufacturers to disclose their efforts to eradicate these issues from their supply chains. The law aims to empower consumers to make informed purchasing decisions and to improve the lives of victims of slavery and human trafficking.

Furthermore, California's legislative framework includes protections for undocumented workers, which are often misconstrued as enabling illegal activities. For instance, the California Senate Bill 54 aims to limit local law enforcement's cooperation with federal immigration authorities, but it does not condone or protect child slavery or trafficking. Instead, it focuses on protecting vulnerable populations from exploitation.

Analysis

The assertion that California is a "sanctuary state for child slavery" conflates the state's protective measures for immigrants with a lack of enforcement against human trafficking. While it is true that California has laws that limit the cooperation of local law enforcement with federal immigration authorities, these laws are designed to protect undocumented individuals from being exploited and to encourage them to report crimes without fear of deportation.

The California Transparency in Supply Chains Act explicitly acknowledges the existence of slavery and human trafficking in California and seeks to combat these issues through transparency and accountability in supply chains. This law demonstrates a commitment to addressing the problem rather than enabling it.

Moreover, recent reports from law enforcement indicate ongoing efforts to combat human trafficking and child exploitation, such as the rescue of migrant children from potential exploitation during operations conducted by federal agencies (ICE and CBP Law Enforcement). These actions contradict the notion that California is a sanctuary for such crimes.

The sources used to support the claim of California being a sanctuary for child slavery are often biased or taken out of context. For example, articles that sensationalize California's immigration policies may misrepresent the intent and outcomes of these laws. The credibility of sources that promote such claims should be critically assessed, as they may have political motivations or lack comprehensive understanding of the legal framework in California.

Conclusion

The claim that "California is a sanctuary state for child slavery" is False. The state's laws and initiatives actively work against human trafficking and slavery, aiming to protect vulnerable populations and ensure accountability in supply chains. The mischaracterization of California's immigration policies as supportive of child slavery is misleading and does not reflect the reality of the state's legal and social frameworks.

Sources

  1. ICE and CBP Law Enforcement Dodge Literal Bullets from ...
  2. California Transparency in Supply Chains Act
  3. The New "Sanctuary State": United States v. California and ...
  4. In Response to Increased Threats to California Immigrant Com…
  5. California Senate Bill 54 (2017) - Wikipedia
  6. About 200 arrested at California farms, DHS says
  7. Newsom donor's cannabis farm under federal investigation ...
  8. California Becomes Sanctuary State for Child Sexual Mutilation

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Among the hundreds of illegal aliens arrested in the raid were:

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Fabian Fernando Antonio-Martinez of Mexico, twice granted voluntary return and was arrested in February 2021 in California for felony possession of a firearm
Jesus Hernandez-Ramirez of Mexico, previously arrested for indecent exposure and granted voluntary return three times
Miguel Mejia-Echevearia of El Salvador, arrested for hit-and-run with property damage
Christina Martinez-Modesto of Mexico, arrested for misdemeanor assault and battery of her spouse
Cinthia Paola Cardona-Mendoza of Mexico, arrested for assault with a deadly weapon
Adriana Gonzalez-Gonzalez of Mexico, convicted three times for burglary and drunk driving
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Fact Check: On July 10, ICE agents raided two marijuana farms in Carpinteria and Camarillo in the sanctuary state of California. Agents found at least 14 migrant children at the sites, believed to have been labor trafficked, and more than 360 illegal aliens — including those convicted of rape, child molestation, and kidnapping, among other crimes. Among the hundreds of illegal aliens arrested in the raid were: Santos Alberto Rodriguez-Jacinto of El Salvador, arrested in El Salvador in 2006 and 2011 for terroristic threats Josefina Lopez-Martinez of Mexico, previously deported in 1998 and convicted in 2023 of willful cruelty to a child in California Jorge Luis Anaya-Garcia of Mexico, previously arrested in California for possession with intent to sell narcotics Jose Vasquez-Lopez of Mexico, previously deported five times from the U.S. and convicted of battery in Florida Fabian Fernando Antonio-Martinez of Mexico, twice granted voluntary return and was arrested in February 2021 in California for felony possession of a firearm Jesus Hernandez-Ramirez of Mexico, previously arrested for indecent exposure and granted voluntary return three times Miguel Mejia-Echevearia of El Salvador, arrested for hit-and-run with property damage Christina Martinez-Modesto of Mexico, arrested for misdemeanor assault and battery of her spouse Cinthia Paola Cardona-Mendoza of Mexico, arrested for assault with a deadly weapon Adriana Gonzalez-Gonzalez of Mexico, convicted three times for burglary and drunk driving

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Elliott said, I was told that
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