A California state appeals court ruled Wednesday; a city can prohibit its police from stopping or arresting people to find out if they are illegal immigrants.

This ruling bars officers from either arresting anyone for entering the United States illegally or taking any action solely to determine someone's immigration status. However, Los Angeles police can ask immigration-related questions to people they arrest for other reasons and can relay the information to federal agents, Justice H. Walter Croskey said in the 3-0 ruling. He said the Constitution prohibits the federal government from requiring state and local governments to enforce immigration law but allows voluntary local enforcement under federal supervision.