The U.S. Immigration and deportation agency, otherwise known as ICE, said on Friday it will start targeting California and go out into its immigrant communities to round up illegal immigrants after its Governor signed a law declaring The Golden State a “Sanctuary State”.
The announcement on Friday by Thomas Homan, acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE), comes a day after the Democrat Governor Jerry Brown signed SB54 into Law, inadvertently cancelling all cooperation local and state authorities can give to Federal deportation agents.
Acting Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Agency, Thomas Homan during a Press Briefing at the White House on 28 June 2017. Credit: AP
In signing the bill into law, Governor Brown made clear its intention of protecting undocumented illegal immigrants living in the state of California from what they perceive as unfair Federal Laws.
“These are uncertain times for undocumented Californians and their families and this bill strikes a balance that will protect public safety while bringing a measure of comfort to those families who are now living in fear everyday.”
Immigration and Homeland Security’s ICE agents nabbed dozens in this undated image.
Much like “Sanctuary City” policies throughout the country, California’s legislation prohibits all local government officials and employees from cooperating in any form or manner with Federal Immigration officials attempting to identity, arrest and deport illegal aliens from the country.
Responding through a released a statement Director Homan condemned the new restrictive law.
“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,” he warned.
ICE agents round up illegal immigrants from Netherlands at popular Dutch restaurants, The Dutch Oven and De Hoofdtoren on 18 October 2016, in New York City.
“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,” added Homan.
“Collateral arrests” in this case refers to apprehensions of non-intended or non-targeted illegal immigrants such as family members, friends and relatives who happen to be present or in the company of the targeted individual when Federal Immigration Enforcement agents show up for the arrest.
Immigration and Homeland Security’s ICE agents escort an undocumented illegal immigrant in an undated photo. Credit: AP
While the state’s new sanctuary policy is intended to both harbor and protect undocumented illegals, it has inadvertently made it possible for ICE deportation agents to flood California’s immigrant communities, a move that will now see more non-criminal illegal aliens nabbed and deported rather than them being safe and protected.
The law’s restrictive measures has also made it certain that Deportation ICE agents on the ground in targeted immigrant communities will round up more non-criminal illegal aliens rather than their previous primary focus of going after criminals and gang-members in the state’s jails and prisons.
Protesters gather outside an ICE office in Portland, Oregon on 27 February 2017, after its officers stopped two vans carrying 19 workers headed to a forest on a job and took 10 of them away. Credit: AP Photo/Andrew Selsky
The state’s new sanctuary policy of non-cooperation has also added another challenge. Instead of imprisoning “collateral arrests” or family members, friends or relatives in local penitentiary institutions, ICE will now have to ship and imprison all arrested illegal aliens outside the state making it even more difficult for family members to visit them for fear of being nabbed, detained and deported themselves.
California’s new law voids a specific cooperation agreement with Orange County Sheriff’s Office under 287(g) program which ICE had. Under the now nullified and voided previous agreement, local authorities could identify and prepare deportable illegal immigrants within their jails in order to be turned over to ICE officials. That is no longer the case.
Immigration and Homeland Security’s ICE agents getting ready to go out for raids in this undated photo.
However, SB54 which was eased from its original version which allowed for some cooperation in limited circumstances now bans local Law Enforcement Officials from “using resources to investigate, interrogate, detain, detect or arrest persons for immigration enforcement purposes.”
Condemning the law, Director Homan pointed out that while “SB54 helps shield removable aliens from immigration enforcement,” it also “creates another magnet for more illegal immigration at the expense of the safety and security of the very people it purports to protect.”
An immigration raid by ICE agents nabs an illegal immigrant. Credit: Charles Reedus/Immigration and Customs Enforcement/AP
Mr. Homan’s statement suggests the paradox of sanctuary cities and their less-thoughtout sanctuary policies. While the goal is to thwart federal Immigration Enforcement efforts from carrying out their official duties of apprehending and deportation of illegals, that usually means protecting the same illegal criminals by refusing to turn them over to ICE agents waiting for them in courts or prisons.
Due to the flaws of sanctuary policies, federal deportation officers now have to venture deep into immigrant communities to try to arrest them at their homes or work places where other family members as well as other illegal immigrants may end up being arrested as a result.
Adopting the “Sanctuary State” status does not safeguard illegal aliens from the federal deportation agents. California will now see an increase in apprehensions and deportations of “collateral arrests” and it’s all thanks to the state’s Democrat Governor and elected officials’ attempt to subvert federal laws.
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