The Ceres City Council is poised to discuss passage of a resolution condemning the "sanctuary state" legislation signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown.

On Monday Councilman Ken Lane asked the council to take up the matter at a future council meeting. City Manager Toby Wells suggested a meeting in June since both meetings in May will be lengthy with other items. Because Councilwoman Linda Ryno will be absent for the June 11 meeting, it was decided to take up the issue on Monday evening, June 25.

Lane said some residents have been asking him where the city of Ceres stands.

"I've told folks that we haven't had that discussion and I think that it's something that we probably should have openly discussed," said Lane. "Personally I have my own opinions but I've save those for another time."

Because of the conservative nature of the council makeup, such a resolution is likely to pass. The action would add to the growing backlash to the state's controversial law.

Before the meeting Ceres Mayor Chris Vierra had in his hand a letter from the city of Los Alamitos asking Ceres officials to follow in their footsteps by going on record against SB 54, which shields illegal immigrants from federal immigration officials even if they have been arrested for crimes.

There is a growing movement among California cities to condemn SB 54. The cities of Los Alamitos, Escondido, Huntington Beach, Orange, Ripon, San Diego and others have passed resolutions opposing sanctuary state policies. One approved by Waterford's council last week went farther by asking U.S. lawmakers to pass comprehensive immigration reform and protecting "dreamers," children of illegal aliens who have been raised in America, from deportation. The Waterford resolution takes aim at sanctuary policies but begs for immigration law that "strengthens border security, combats human trafficking, and provides protections for undocumented immigrants (known as Dreamers) who have been brought into the United States at no fault of their own, who are law abiding members of our communities and have largely only known the U.S. as their home."

SB 54 was authored by state Senator Kevin De Leon, D-Los Angeles. It calls for protections of illegal aliens by shielding them from Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents who likely would deport them to their native country. The bill prohibits state and local law enforcement agencies, including school police and security departments, from using money or personnel to investigate, interrogate, detain, detect, or arrest persons for immigration enforcement purposes.