DOJ Sues California Over Immigration Obstruction
Three state laws directly and deliberately interfere with federal efforts to enforce the law.
The Justice Department filed suit Tuesday against the state of California over the Golden State’s obstruction of federal immigration law. Specifically, the DOJ seeks an injunction against three recent California laws that are deliberately interfering with immigration enforcement. One law prevents businesses from cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials by giving workers extra “protections.” Another grants authority to state officials to inspect and monitor Department of Homeland Security-run detention facilities in California. And the third is the infamous sanctuary state law that took effect Jan. 1 — the law prohibits state or local law enforcement officials from notifying their federal counterparts when an illegal alien ends up in custody, or from transferring those prisoners.
Laws meant to protect the lawless are ironic, indeed.
“The Department of Justice and the Trump Administration are going to fight these unjust, unfair and unconstitutional policies,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Last year, the Justice Department also moved to defund sanctuary cities, which is being challenged in court.
California is a key battleground because an estimated 2.5 million illegals reside there. That number will no doubt increase. State Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who is named in the DOJ suit, insists California will continue to “keep our communities safe.” In fact, he argues, “We believe we are in full compliance with the federal Constitution and federal law.” Democrats sure have a funny way of defining those terms.
In some cases, the state is doing even more than claiming supremacy of state law over federal law, in violation of the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause (Article VI, Clause 2). One example is the recent case of Oakland’s Democrat mayor, Libby Schaaf, publicly warning illegals of upcoming ICE raids, saving an estimated 800 illegals from arrest. It’s one thing to leave enforcement of federal law to the feds and another to actively obstruct that enforcement. Such is the way of today’s Democrat Party.
