California as a Sanctuary State." Its new Sanctuary State Law protects criminals and sets up barriers between local and federal law-enforcement agencies.
Much of the recent debate about immigration in America has centered on President Trumps plan to build a wall to secure our nations southern border. This physical barrier is meant to protect our homeland from drug smugglers human traffickers would-be terrorists and transnational gangs such as MS-13.
As this debate has raged on the State of California has been working to construct a different kind of barrier with the potential to have devastating effects.
This irresponsible action presents a new set of dangers by limiting the discretion of California Law-Enforcement Agencies to cooperate with federal officials for immigration-enforcement purposes.
It also specifically prohibits California law-enforcement agencies from assigning officers to work on task forces for purposes of immigration enforcement."
While this may be a successful attempt to score points with the far-left base of the Democratic Party it could bring unintended and negative consequences that would threaten the safety of our citizens. Moreover California already has a dangerous history of refusing to work with federal officials: Some
local jurisdictions have declared themselves Sanctuary Cities."
In 2015 many Americans became familiar with the story of Kate Steinle a young woman shot and killed by an illegal alien who had been previously deported five times. He had returned illegally to the U.S. once again but was protected by San Franciscos sanctuary" status. This horrifying tragedy is an example of what can happen when local state and federal law-enforcement agencies dont work together.
We cannot allow this kind of dysfunction to continue.
Unfortunately there are still many jurisdictions that are voluntarily putting up dangerous roadblocks to cooperation. One of the tools that Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) can use to fight crime stemming from illegal immigration is known as a detainer."
This is a request to a local law-enforcement agency to either hold an individual already in its custody or notify ICE when an individual in custody is due to be released.
Earlier this year the Trump Administration announced that 318 detainer requests had been denied in just a three-week span for individuals charged with or convicted of crimes that included:
Assault- Drug Possession
- Burglary and
- Domestic Violence
- Colorado
- Minnesota
- Massachusetts
- New York and
- Florida among others
The communities that these state and local departments serve will lose their voice and ability to participate in and help shape the direction of federal immigration-enforcement operations and investigations. In a time when threats to our homeland are growing by the day and terrorist propaganda is increasing its reach we cannot afford to deliberately jeopardize the success of these operations.
This new law may only complicate the already difficult job that we ask our men and women in law enforcement to perform. Upon its passage Bill Brown the president of the California State Sheriff Association stated
The California Legislature chose political symbolism over public safety in approving SB 54."The effects could compromise partnerships that are vital to national and local security. This bill diminishes these partnerships and jeopardizes our safety.
California is building the wrong wall.
Cong. Michael McCaul represents Texas 10th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. He is chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee and is a senior member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
