A bill being drafted by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) would circumvent the federal Secure Communities program by preventing local law enforcement from holding arrestees on behalf of immigration authorities seeking to deport them. "States have their own ways of fighting back," Ammiano said. "We can’t stand by and let innocent people, food vendors, etc., be caught up in sweeps, assume they’re guilty of some violent offense and then deport them and separate them from their families," Ammiano told the [LA Times.](http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-immigration-law-20120128,0,7286049.story) Although the exact language is not yet finalized, the legislation would be similar to policies in Cook County, Ill., and Santa Clara County that instruct law enforcement agencies not to cooperate with certain detainer requests, the assemblyman said.