President Donald Trump is threatening to steam roll California’s sanctuary state status. This as the legislature considers a new bill that would keep the Department of Corrections from co-operating with immigration agents. NBC4’s Conan Nolan talks with the author of the ‘California Values Act’, the state’s sanctuary law, former L-A City Councilman Kevin de León.
The Orange County Sheriff's Department will not enforce federal immigration laws, Sheriff Don Barnes said Tuesday while criticizing the state from preventing California agencies from working with federal authorities.
While giving an annual report on immigration enforcement to the Orange County Board of Supervisors, the sheriff said his department "does not engage in immigration enforcement.
"My deputies are focused on criminal violations of state and local laws. We never ask the immigration status of suspects, witnesses, or those who report crime," said Barnes. "We have not and will not participate in any local operations of enforcement actions by federal authorities enforcing immigration laws.''
But the sheriff made clear his office will not stop U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from doing its job, either.
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"My department will in no way impede federal law enforcement officials from carrying out their responsibilities," he said.
Last year, out of about 48,000 suspects booked 733 caught the attention of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Of those, state law prohibited his deputies from alerting ICE when 456 of the inmates were going to be released, Barnes said.
And of 277 that ICE showed an interest in, 49 were not picked up by federal authorities, the sheriff explained.
"Those who are not picked up by ICE continue to victimize our community and consume law enforcement resources,'' Barnes said, adding he believes the border is now secure under the Trump administration. "For the last few years I've spoken of the crisis at our southern border and the threat it poses to our nation."
Barnes said he is opposed to the so-called state sanctuary law because he feels it is unnecessary since his department has no interest in enforcing federal law. He said it could encourage federal authorities to more
vigorously seek undocumented immigrants if his department did not alert ICE when some inmates are to be released if the state law allows it.
