Trump’s Border Chief Responds to California’s ‘Super Sanctuary’ Challenge

In a move that signals growing defiance against federal immigration enforcement, Democrat leaders in California have taken their sanctuary policies to unprecedented levels. The San Diego County Board of Supervisors recently voted to severely restrict cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This even applies to cases involving violent criminals.

The dramatic expansion goes far beyond California’s existing sanctuary state law. It was enacted in 2017 and already limited law enforcement’s ability to work with federal immigration authorities. Even former Democrat Governor Jerry Brown, who signed that original legislation, now admits some jurisdictions have gone “way, way beyond” what he envisioned.

While Democrat leaders celebrate their resistance to federal authority, law enforcement officials warn of dire consequences for public safety. The new policy prevents local authorities from notifying ICE about foreign nationals in custody. This applies even to those arrested for serious crimes like rape, child abuse, and gang violence.

That’s when Trump’s incoming border enforcement chief Tom Homan delivered a stark message to San Diego’s defiant lawmakers. If they won’t let ICE agents into their jails, they can expect to see a lot more federal officers in their neighborhoods.

‘It’s Ridiculous’

“Rather than arresting an illegal alien criminal in the safety and security of a county jail where we know he doesn’t have weapons, they’re forcing ICE officers into the streets, into neighborhoods to find these people,” Homan told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “It’s ridiculous.”

The county-wide ordinance, which fundamentally undermines federal immigration enforcement authority, passed by a 3-1 vote with Republican Supervisor Jim Desmond standing as the lone voice for public safety. Democrat Supervisor Nora Vargas celebrated closing what she called a “loophole” that had allowed cooperation in cases involving serious criminals.

Desmond didn’t mince words in his response, calling it a “super sanctuary” law that deliberately shields criminal illegal immigrants from deportation. In a statement, he detailed the ordinance’s shocking scope.

“Under this policy, law enforcement is prohibited from notifying ICE about individuals, in custody, who have committed violent and heinous crimes, including rape, assault and battery, burglary, and child abuse,” he said.

The timing of San Diego’s move appears deliberately coordinated with other Democrat-controlled jurisdictions. Since Trump’s election victory, at least six major cities have either established new sanctuary policies or strengthened existing ones. This creates potential safe havens for millions of illegal immigrants who violate federal law.

But Homan, who has been tasked with fulfilling Trump’s promise of increased immigration enforcement, made it clear that such local resistance won’t prevent ICE from doing its job. Instead, it will just make operations more resource-intensive and potentially more dangerous for both officers and communities.

“[Sanctuary laws] make it more difficult, but it doesn’t mean we’re not going to do it,” Homan stated firmly. “It just means we’ll have more agents in San Diego because rather than one guy arresting a guy in a jail — we have to send a whole team to safely arrest a guy.”

Nearly Eight Million Illegal Aliens live In American Sanctuary Cities

The Center for Immigration Studies estimates that nearly eight million illegal immigrants currently reside within sanctuary jurisdictions across America. This mass defiance of federal constitutional authority creates an enormous challenge for immigration enforcement efforts.

Homan expressed bewilderment at politicians who would rather keep dangerous criminals in their communities than cooperate with ICE.

“I’ve been clear and President Trump’s been clear, we’re going to concentrate on public safety threats right out of the gate,” he said. “What elected official doesn’t want public safety threats removed from their community?”

As this showdown between federal authority and local resistance intensifies, one thing becomes clear: Democrat politicians’ determination to obstruct immigration enforcement may end up putting their own communities at greater risk. With more ICE agents being forced to conduct operations in neighborhoods rather than jails, San Diego residents may soon experience the unintended consequences of their leaders’ political posturing.

Key Takeaways: 

• San Diego’s new “super sanctuary” policy actively prevents cooperation with ICE, even for violent criminals.
• Trump’s border chief promises increased neighborhood operations if denied jail access.
• Even former Democrat Governor Jerry Brown admits sanctuary policies have gone too far.
• Local resistance won’t stop enforcement – it will only make communities less safe.

Sources: The Daily Caller, Fox News