Legal Insurrection readers may recall that in October, Governor Jerry Brown signed the “Sanctuary State” rules into law.
The state policy is designed to prevent local police from helping the Trump administration crack down on illegal immigration. The move was celebrated as a strong #Resistance message and heralded as a successful attack in California’s #WarOnTrump.
After the measure was signed into law, the feds promised to raid more workplaces and neighborhoods in California.
File this story, then, under Promises Kept:
U.S. immigration officials have begun preparing for a major sweep in San Francisco and other Northern California cities in which federal officers would look to arrest more than 1,500 undocumented people while sending a message that immigration policy will be enforced in the sanctuary state, according to a source familiar with the operation.Officials at Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE, declined to comment Tuesday on plans for the operation.The campaign, centered in the Bay Area, could happen within weeks, and is expected to become the biggest enforcement action of its kind under President Trump, said the source, who requested anonymity because the plans have not been made public.
Many Americans are clearly frustrated at the “Sanctuary State” rules, which encourage immigrants to not cooperate with local law enforcement and inhibit his goal of enforcing immigration laws.
According to the reports, the raids will target specific types of illegal immigrants:
The operation would go after people who have been identified as targets for deportation, including those who have been served with final deportation orders and those with criminal histories, the source said. The number could tick up if officers come across other undocumented immigrants in the course of their actions and make what are known as collateral arrests.The sweep would represent the first large-scale effort to target the region since Gov. Jerry Brown in October signed legislation enacting a statewide sanctuary law. Supporters say the law allows undocumented immigrants to cooperate with local police and seek education, health care and other public services without worrying they will expose themselves to possible deportation.
The response from California’s progressives is as calm and rational as you would expect:
“This is wrong,” U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Fremont) said in a statement, echoing what others in the California congressional delegation feel. “The administration is targeting immigrants to make a political statement. Immigrants are the backbone of our country and such raids will only incite fear in our communities and undermine public safety. We must stand up for their rights.”
Illegal immigrants are the backbone of the Democratic Party’s future election hopes, so panic is understandable. In fact, in an extraordinary display that goes beyond the usual level of political narcissism, the head of the state senate, Kevin de Leon, made the raids all about him:
“The Department of Homeland Security has even admitted they are considering a move to arrest political leaders such as myself, who have led the charge in California to prevent the feds from commandeering state and local resources to tear hard working families apart.“These extraordinary threats against the President’s political opponents are meant to intimidate us, designed to silence and subjugate us. But they will do the opposite.“Threatening to weaponize federal agencies against California and its residents only strengthens our resolve.
The federal immigration laws were established by the US Congress. President Trump is merely applying those laws…and if he scoops up de Leon has part of these raids, that is a sacrifice this Californian is willing to make.
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