As ICE Sends In “SWAT” Teams, LA Officials Again Pander to Illegals Instead of Doing Their Job

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National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd had some words for Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who vowed Friday that his city would “not cooperate with ICE or participate in immigration enforcement” after the federal government announced that special tactical units (BORTAC) would be deployed to sanctuary jurisdictions such as Los Angeles.

“As a law enforcement officer, I have the right to remove you from the United States if you do not have a legal reason to be here. When this mayor says that, make no mistake, we’re not coordinating with ICE, that is the wrong message to send. That’s why people cross our borders illegally. That’s why people flood the City of Los Angeles, because they know that it’s a safe haven.

“It’s no longer going to be a safe haven when ICE comes in, BORTAC comes in, and does their job.”

Garcetti’s insolence wasn’t surprising. What would have been surprising is if he announced that he was going to have his city thumb the state’s SB54, which rendered the entire state a sanctuary jurisdiction. As he’d done last summer when President Trump announced enforcement sweeps, Garcetti made a “know your rights” video aimed at illegal aliens in the city.

Garcetti said:

I want every Angeleno to know their rights and how to exercise them. Remember, you have the right to remain silent. You don’t have to open your door to an ICE agent that doesn’t have a warrant signed by a judge.

You have the right to speak to a lawyer before signing any documents or speaking to law enforcement.

And if you need help finding an attorney you can call 311 and learn more about our Justice Fund and other resources that offer legal support. And, whenever possible, keep a record of everything that happens. Take note of an officer’s name and badge number, of when and where you are being questioned, so you can use that information in your own defense.

Most importantly, I need you to know you do not need be afraid. Your city is on your side.  And rest assured, here in Los Angeles we are not coordinating with ICE.

What about the millions of people in your city who are subjected to driving past dangerous homeless encampments daily, who can’t use the public parks (especially with their children) because they’re covered with mentally ill people and perverts, some of whom masturbate in the open or commit rapes in broad daylight? Are you on their side?

Los Angeles Police Chief Michael Moore joined Garcetti for the video, promising illegal aliens who are “low level” criminals that they don’t have to worry about the LAPD interfering with their fun by helping ICE deport them.

“Our police force does not do the job of federal law enforcement, so I want to reiterate what the mayor just said. The Los Angeles Police Department is not assisting ICE in any way. We will not enforce immigration laws that are civil in nature and that fall under the jurisdiction of the federal government.

“Immigration is a federal matter. Safety is a police matter. And we’re not going to mix those two. Everything we do is focused on what’s best for the safety and security of all Angelenos and consistent with our commitment to constitutional policing and deepening our community partnerships.

“Simply put, we’re here to protect and serve all of the people of Los Angeles, regardless of their immigration status.”

LA County Sheriff Alex Villaneuva’s statement is just as idiotic.

“This poorly thought-out plan can only be seen as a tactic to intimidate an already vulnerable population and drive them deeper into the shadows,” the statement said. “We are not any safer if an entire segment of our population is afraid to report crimes to local law enforcement.”

That argument is simply false. The reason additional, specially-trained ICE agents are being sent to cities like Los Angeles is because those jurisdictions in most instances refuse to honor ICE detainers issued to criminals being held in their jails, instead requiring ICE agents to take an additional step of having a warrant signed by a judge. California law also prohibits state resources from being used to enforce federal immigration law, so ICE agents cannot go into the jails or state property to interview people or to apprehend criminals when they’re released from California’s revolving-door jail system.

According to DHS, the number of non-detained cases increased from 2.6 million in fiscal year 2018 to over 3.2 million in the following fiscal year, nationwide.

ICE Director Matthew Albence released a statement explaining both why obtaining a judicial warrant for an arrestee to be turned over to ICE (instead of using the perfectly legal detainer system) is simply not possible, and why these additional officers are needed in sanctuary jurisdictions.

“With 5,300 ERO [Enforcement and Removal Operations] law enforcement officers — some of whom were detailed to the border — ICE does not have sufficient resources to effectively manage the sustained increase in non-detained cases which is exacerbated by the rise of sanctuary jurisdictions.

“[Due to these policies, federal officers] are forced to make at-large arrests of criminal aliens who have been released into communities. This effort requires a significant amount of additional time and resources. When sanctuary cities release these criminals back to the street, it increases the occurrence of preventable crimes, and more importantly, preventable victims.”

Preventable victims like Marilyn Pharis and Gracie Aguilar, both of whom were killed by illegal aliens who offended again almost immediately after being released from California jails.

Pharis, an Air Force veteran, was sexually assaulted and brutally beaten to death by two men, one of whom was an illegal alien whose ICE detainers were ignored by jailers. She fought back and had the strength to call 911 after her attackers fled. From her hospital bed, she asked her sister, “Why did they have to beat me?”

(Read about how sanctuary state policies allowed Pharis’ murderer to be on the streets to rape and bludgeon.)

Six-year-old Gracie was mowed down in her own front yard by a drunk driver, an illegal alien who had been arrested numerous times for drunk driving. She was an only child; her parents had saved for years for the in vitro treatment that led to her conception.

These stories resonate with me because in addition to covering them for RedState, I’ve spoken with the devastated family members left behind. Garcetti, Moore and Villanueva have to be aware of similar stories. How can they continue to act the way they do and champion such destructive, heartless, and contrary-to-the-rule-of-law policies?

Nope, they’re all about ensuring that criminal illegal aliens – who are the ones ICE is targeting – feel like they have a green light from law enforcement. Feelings are what’s really important, right?

This fellow Angeleno and granddaughter of legal immigrants sums up our thoughts.

Jennifer Van Laar





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