{"id":16610,"date":"2018-03-08T11:20:35","date_gmt":"2018-03-08T16:20:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/live-immigrationreform.pantheonsite.io\/?p=16610"},"modified":"2018-12-28T10:45:54","modified_gmt":"2018-12-28T15:45:54","slug":"doj-takes-aim-sanctuary-sickness-spreading-california-late","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.immigrationreform.com\/2018\/03\/08\/doj-takes-aim-sanctuary-sickness-spreading-california-late\/","title":{"rendered":"DOJ Takes Aim at Sanctuary Sickness Spreading Through California, But is it Too Late?"},"content":{"rendered":"

For more than a year, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions seemed content to tolerate California passing new laws intended to hobble federal immigration authorities and failing to cooperate with the federal government to enforce \u00a0immigration law. However, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf\u2019s reckless and possibly illegal decision to publicly tip illegal aliens to pending Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) enforcement actions apparently crossed the line.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo here\u2019s my message to Mayor Schaaf: How dare you.\u00a0 How dare you needlessly endanger the lives of law enforcement just to promote your radical open borders agenda,\u201d declared<\/a> Sessions today in a speech to the California Peace Officers’ Association.<\/p>\n

The address came mere hours after the Justice Department filed suit against the Golden State arguing that its sanctuary laws violate the U.S. Constitution\u2019s Supremacy Clause, which \u00a0clearly states that federal law overrides state law when a conflict exists.<\/p>\n

Sessions arrived in Sacramento with some wind at his back. On Monday, Judge William Orrick of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, denied California\u2019s request to block the Trump administration from withholding law enforcement grants to jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate with Federal immigration officers carrying out their responsibility to enforce U.S. immigration law.<\/p>\n

In his 28-page opinion, Orrick rebuffed California writing that \u201cthe injury threatened is not irreparable\u201d and the amount of any withheld funding \u201cis small compared to the state\u2019s budget.\u201d<\/p>\n

In February, California filed a nine-page\u00a0complaint<\/a>\u00a0against the Justice Department for all records related to eligibility requirements for the $385 million Federal grant at issue.<\/p>\n

The ruling was a setback for California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who has invested both energy and funding into obstructing the Trump administration\u2019s enforcement efforts.<\/p>\n

In his response<\/a>, Becerra ignored the federal government\u2019s exclusive jurisdiction over immigration enforcement, arguing that \u201cthe 10th Amendment of the Constitution gives the people of California, not the Trump Administration, the power to decide how we will provide for the public safety and general welfare in our state.\u201d<\/p>\n

He pledged to continue the state\u2019s \u201cfight against federal government overreach that undermines the safety and values of our state.\u201d<\/p>\n

By not mounting legal challenges to the rogue actions of local officials in so-called \u201csanctuary states,\u201d the Justice Department has only encouraged others to follow Oakland mayor Schaaf\u2019s lawless lead.<\/p>\n

Organized Communities Against Deportations, a pro-amnesty group, specifically cited the actions of Schaaf when it announced the filing of two Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests seeking \u201cdetails\u00a0or communication about\u00a0possible immigration operations planned\u201d in Chicago. However, records or information compiled for law enforcement purposes is protected from disclosure pursuant to FOIA if such disclosure would interfere with law enforcement proceedings.<\/p>\n

Pro-sanctuary advocates keep poking the bear but it\u2019s unclear whether Attorney General Sessions is finally coming out of hibernation or just plans on stretching and growling a bit.