The Justice Dept. filed a lawsuit against the state of California yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Eastern California, requesting that the court issue a state-wide preliminary injunction to block enforcement of sanctuary policies the state passed last year, allegedly obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration law. The sanctuary policies include HB 450, SB 54, and AB 103.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions traveled to California today to speak about the lawsuit at the California Peace Officers Association meeting and express the Administration’s dedication to the safety of law enforcement officers.
"The Department of Justice and the Trump administration are going to fight these unjust, unfair and unconstitutional policies that have been imposed on you …
"We are fighting to make your jobs safer and to help you reduce crime in America. And I believe we are going to win."
Sanctuary policy, HB 450, which the California State Assembly’s Judiciary Committee stated they enacted due to "an expected increase in federal immigration enforcement," penalizes private employers with stiff fines if they cooperate with ICE officials, double check their employees’ immigration status, or decline to inform employees of pending ICE enforcement efforts.
SB 54 prohibits California law enforcement from providing the release dates of detained criminal illegal aliens to ICE and bars them from voluntarily transferring detainees to federal custody.
AB 103 has been used by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to conduct inspections of DHS housing facilities for suspected illegal aliens awaiting removal proceedings. The Dept. of Justice believes that access to proprietary DHS documents and information was demanded during these inspections.
DHS Sec. Kirstjen Nielsen exhorted the Administration’s decision to file the lawsuit.
"California has chosen to purposefully contradict the will and the responsibility of the Congress to protect our homeland.
"I appreciate the efforts of Attorney General Sessions and the Department of Justice to uphold the rule of law and protect American communities."
The lawsuit comes after A.G. Sessions’ recent reprimanding of federal judge’s nationwide injunctions in favor of sanctuary policies that oppose proper enforcement of federal immigration law.
For more information on this story, see Breitbart and Politico.
