By Jazmine Ulloa, The Los Angeles Times
President Trump’s top immigration chief on Friday blasted California’s new “sanctuary state” law, saying it would “undermine public safety,” keep federal officers from performing their jobs and result in more arrests.
In a statement, (See complete statement at bottom) Thomas Homan, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said his agency “would have no choice but to conduct at-large arrests in local neighborhoods and at worksites.”
The new law will largely prohibit state and local law enforcement agencies from using personnel or funds to hold, question or share information about people with federal immigration agents unless those individuals have been convicted of one or more offenses from a list of 800 crimes outlined in a 2013 state law.
(The legislation bars police from sharing information about people with federal immigration agents unless that person has been convicted of certain crimes. Courtesy of Fox News and YouTube)
Signed Thursday by Gov. Jerry Brown, the law was the result of months of tough negotiations between the governor, state Senate leader Kevin De León and law enforcement officials.
It was the centerpiece of this year’s legislative proposals in Sacramento that sought to challenge President Trump’s stance on illegal immigration and provide protections for families amid the president’s threats of mass deportations.
The legislation has divided law enforcement officials over its impact on public safety. Some officers have argued that entangling police and federal immigration forces pushes crime victims and witnesses further into the shadows.
Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones asked Homan for help fighting the so-called sanctuary state bill weeks before the two hosted a town hall meeting in March on immigration enforcement that erupted in protests.
(On March 28th, 2017, Sacramento County Sheriff, Scott Jones, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Acting-Director, James Homan, held a community forum to discuss immigration enforcement within Sacramento County. Courtesy of the Sacramento Sheriff and YouTube. Posted on Mar 30, 2017)
In his statement, Homan said the new law eliminates nearly all communication with law enforcement partners, prohibits them from housing immigrant detainees through federal contracts and voids a federal immigration program under the Orange County Sheriff’s Department that allows local officers to perform certain immigration duties.
“Ultimately, SB54 helps shield removable aliens from immigration enforcement and creates another magnet for more illegal immigration, all at the expense of the safety and security of the very people it purports to protect,” he said.
Learn More…
Statement from ICE Acting Director Tom Homan on California Sanctuary Law
Governor Jerry Brown’s decision to sign SB54 and make California a sanctuary state for illegal aliens – including those who have committed crimes – will undermine public safety and hinder ICE from performing its federally mandated mission.
The governor is simply wrong when he claims otherwise.
SB54 will negatively impact ICE operations in California by nearly eliminating all cooperation and communication with our law enforcement partners in the state, voiding the delegated authority that the Orange County Sheriff’s Office has under the 287g program, and prohibiting local law enforcement from contracting with the federal government to house detainees.
ICE will have no choice but to conduct at-large arrests in local neighborhoods and at worksites, which will inevitably result in additional collateral arrests, instead of focusing on arrests at jails and prisons where transfers are safer for ICE officers and the community.
ICE will also likely have to detain individuals arrested in California in detention facilities outside of the state, far from any family they may have in California.
(Hear from Director Homan Thomas Homan on dismantling MS-13, immigration policies, courtesy of Fox News and YouTube. Posted on Jul 12, 2017)
Ultimately, SB54 helps shield removable aliens from immigration enforcement and creates another magnet for more illegal immigration, all at the expense of the safety and security of the very people it purports to protect.
Despite the severe challenges that this law creates for ICE, we remain committed to our public safety mission and we will continue to do our sworn duty to seek out dangerous criminal aliens and other immigration violators.
ICE seeks straightforward cooperation with all sheriffs and local elected officials.
This misguided legislation will severely undermine those efforts.
(Acting ICE director speaks out about the truck tragedy that occurred in July in San Antonio that claimed the lives of 10 aliens during their transport in a tractor trailer by a criminal smuggling operation. He explains why Illegal immigration is not a victimless crime. Courtesy of Fox News and YouTube. Posted on Jul 24, 2017)
