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California Is Not In 'Business Of Deportation,' Says Attorney General Becerra

LOS ANGELES (AP) — California Attorney General Xavier Becerra says his state is committed to keeping families together and is "not in the business of deportation."

Speaking Sunday on a morning news show, Becerra hit back at a White House letter demanding California and other areas help enforce federal immigration law or risk losing federal grants.

He said that the U.S. Constitution gives states the right to decide how to police its citizens.

Becerra said, "We're in the business of public safety. We're not in the business of deportation."

The attorney general says one of the ways California is protecting people is by creating jobs in a state that is the sixth-largest economy in the world.

(© Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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