XPost: alt.law-enforcement, alt.politics.immigration, alt.california
XPost: alt.fan.rush-limbaugh, sac.politics
LOS ANGELES — The Trump administration’s “border czar” warned that
immigration enforcement will continue “every day” in Los Angeles, hinting
that even elected officials could face arrest if they interfere with
agents on the ground.
Tom Homan appeared undeterred by the volatile protests against federal
agents in Los Angeles who were carrying out immigration raids. Enforcement
will be daily, he said late Saturday in an interview.
“I’m telling you what, we’re going to keep enforcing law every day in
L.A.,” Homan said. “Every day in L.A., we’re going to enforce immigration
law. I don’t care if they like it or not.”
Follow along for live coverage
Parts of Los Angeles County erupted in wide-scale protests on Saturday
after residents learned that Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids
were happening in the area. Demonstrations descended into chaos, with
videos showing protesters surrounding federal law enforcement on the
ground and in vehicles. At least one person was hit by a car they were
trying to stop from moving.
While many protests around the city remained peaceful, some escalated into clashes where authorities deployed tear gas and officers fired what
appeared to be less-lethal ammunition at demonstrators.
The Los Angeles Police Department arrested 11 people Saturday night for
failure to disperse, according to a law enforcement source familiar with
the situation.
President Donald Trump made good on his threat to deploy the National
Guard against protesters, as Guard members arrived in Los Angeles on
Sunday morning. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Gov. Gavin
Newsom warned it would escalate tensions.
Homan has previously threatened arrest for anyone who obstructs
immigration enforcement. When asked whether that would include Newsom or
Bass, Homan did not rule it out.
“I’ll say it about anybody,” Homan said. “You cross that line, it’s a
felony to knowingly harbor and conceal an illegal alien. It’s a felony to impede law enforcement doing their job.”
He did not accuse any politician of impeding enforcement, and when asked
about Bass specifically, he said that he doesn’t believe “she’s crossed
the line yet.” A spokesperson for Bass did not immediately respond to a
request for comment.
Ongoing enforcement concerns
Protests are expected to continue in Los Angeles on Sunday, as many
residents take issue with the way ICE has been operating on the ground.
Homan told NBC News that ICE was “prioritizing” threats to public safety.
He cited a raid on a business in downtown Los Angeles’ Fashion District,
saying agents were executing warrants as part of a criminal investigation.
But Homan also implied that the government does not differentiate between violent criminals and those who commit civil immigration violations when enforcing deportation laws.
“I’ve said a thousand times that aperture will open,” Homan said. “And I
said, if you’re in the country illegally, you’re not off the table.”
Immigration raids have targeted workplaces and Home Depots, where many day laborers often gather to find manual labor jobs. Homan said ICE agents at
Home Depots were looking for “final orders,” which is a final order of
removal.
People have also been taken into ICE custody while they were attending immigration interviews, causing fear among those going through the legal immigration process.
Homan denied some of the allegations that ICE has been operating at
schools, hospitals and churches, calling it misinformation. He criticized
the overt hostility toward ICE agents, saying they’re unfairly compared to terrorists and Nazis.
Homan had harsh words for Newsom, calling the governor an “embarrassment
for the state” and denouncing California’s “Sanctuary State” law.
Sanctuary laws prevent local authorities from being compelled to
participate in federal immigration enforcement.
“If he cared about public safety in the state of California, he would not
have a sanctuary for criminals, where criminals get released to the street
in this state every day because of his policy,” Homan said of Newsom.
In reality, California state prisons regularly cooperate with ICE, as the
state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is required by law to identify people subject to deportation within 90 days. However, if ICE
fails pick up people before release, the department does not hold anyone
past their release dates.
A spokesperson for Newsom did not immediately respond to a request for
comment.
“The rhetoric keeps rising and rising and rising — someone’s gonna get
hurt,” Homan said. “If this violence isn’t tamped down, someone’s gonna
die, and that’s just that’s just a cold fact of life.”
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/tom-homan-trump-border-czar-los- angeles-rcna211701
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