States' Rights and the Newly-Favored Flavor of Its Definitions

Watching political decisions/events in California,  Illinois and
other states, we see an interesting, 180 degree twist from the past:
States' Rights,  a term/concept formerly used to thwart Civil Rights
in the USA's southern states, flouting the U.S. Constitution, is now
used to defy the federal government to provide civil and human rights
to its residents.

Chiefly two subjects are in dispute: Marijuana legalization and
Illegal immigrant rights. Several states like Illinois, California
and Colorado have simply allowed Pot to be legalized via state
capital decree, whether for medical or recreational purposes.
Perhaps not coincidentally, these same three states  are fighting
illegal residents' deportation, whether via sanctuary cities or
by continuing DACA (allowing young people illegally brought
here as babies to remain, gain routes to citizenship).

California, often the country's trend-setter, is the most strident
and intransigent  of the lot, Sacramento issuing three laws
designed to keep the illegal teens in the only home they have
known. Twice elected CA Governor Brown so far stands firm
in support of the three statutes...we now see a Sanctuary State
(CA) rather than just a Sanctuary City (Chicago).

Will Washington DC, AKA the Donald, launch a new kind of
Civil War? It seems a far-out fantasy--until you recall Mr. Trump
saying he's the only one that matters.

Hmmn. "States' Rights" promoting more humane policies--
who knew? New definitions, new flavors, new fights: what next??