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Attorney General Jeff Sessions let Californians know the federal government was not going to stand for their sanctuary stubbornness and refusal to aid ICE or the government in immigration control. During a meeting with the California Peace Officers Association on Wednesday, Sessions announced the lawsuit that was filed against the state on Tuesday evening.
The suit is not so much against the sanctuary status. Instead, it focuses on three pieces of new legislation that went into effect on January 1, which, among other things, prohibits law enforcement from aiding ICE or other officials in immigration control. The lawsuit states:
These provisions are preempted by federal law and impermissibly discriminate against the United States, and therefore violate the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution.”
Thunderclouds of indignation crackled above officials’ heads in the sunny state. Governor Jerry Brown was particularly agitated, saying the federal government was "initiating a reign of terror" against immigrants in California:
"This is basically going to war against the state of California, the engine of the American economy," Brown said. "It's not wise, it's not right and it will not stand."
“At a time of unprecedented political turmoil, Jeff Sessions has come to California to further divide and polarize America. Jeff, these political stunts may be the norm in Washington, but they don’t work here. SAD!!!”
The lawsuit came just days after Oakland City Mayor Libby Schaff thought it wise to alert illegal immigrants to an ICE raid 72 hours in advance. According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), the warning prevented officials from apprehending approximately 800 illegals.
“So here’s my message for Mayor Schaaf,” Sessions said during Wednesday’s meeting. “How dare you. How dare you needlessly endanger the lives of our law enforcement officers to promote a radical open borders agenda.”
Protestors marched outside the hotel in California where Sessions and prominent members of the police force met chanting and holding signs that read: “Crush ICE.” Meanwhile, Sessions told the attendees in no uncertain terms: “There is no nullification. There is no secession. Federal law is the supreme law of the land.”
Liberal Legislation Attacked
The lawsuit details three specific pieces of the state’s new sanctuary laws that the government claims are unconstitutional and obstruct justice.
SB 54 (California Values Act): Also known as the “Sanctuary Law,” SB 54 allows illegal immigrant criminals to be released from jail without notifying ICE or the DOJ. This means federal law enforcement will have to spend more time and resources trying to track down criminals that were already in custody. Before becoming a sanctuary state, criminals with illegal immigrant status would serve their terms in jail or prison and then were turned over to ICE to be deported or detained. This applied even to those ICE turned over to the prisons to serve their terms.
SB 54 also prohibits the transfer of immigrant criminals without a warrant, which the government argues is unlawful because illegal immigration is a civil offense, and deportation is a civil punishment which only requires civil warrants.
In 2017, ICE apprehended 20,201 aliens in California which is about 14% of those arrested nationwide, according to the lawsuit. So far in 2018, ICE has gathered 8,588 aliens in California, roughly 14% of the nation’s aliens apprehended this year. Approximately 90% of those arrested nationwide were criminal aliens.
AB 103: the detention review law: This requires the California Attorney General to inspect locations where immigrants are being detained. It also requires federal officials to provide sometimes classified information including how the alien was found and captured. However, these same restrictions are not placed on any other federal or local agency.
AB 450: the workplace-raid law: Perhaps one of the most frustrating new laws to ICE and the DOJ is AB 450 which prohibits employers from aiding in immigration control in the workplace. In fact, the state places hefty fines for any offense.
Employers are required to notify employees within 72 hours when an inspection of I-9 files will be inspected by ICE. If that isn’t bad enough, the employers are also required to let those employees who have been “flagged in the system as working illegally” know within 72 hours of notification. Let’s face it; 72 hours is a lot of time for a felon to pack up and disappear.
The lawsuit states that employer cooperation is essential in “investigating cross border smuggling of people, narcotics, and terrorism,” and that most employers are happy to aid ICE in its efforts.
David McCuan, a professor of politics at Sonoma state summed up the growing hostilities between government and state:
“We haven’t seen this level of discord between Sacramento and Washington since we were in the Vietnam period, into the 60s and 70s. This is about going right into the resistance, into a deep blue state, and sticking a finger in their eye. Because the attorney general could have gone anywhere to make this speech.”
True, but Sessions needed to make a point where it mattered most – at the capital of the sanctuary state. For too long, California has been snubbing its nose at everyone else. Officials have gotten too big for their britches, thinking they are above every other law. It is beyond time for the government to step in with its administrative paddle and crack down on the crybaby liberals who are too spoiled and demanding to protect themselves from criminals.
