Federal immigration officials are planning a series of raids on criminal illegal aliens in the nation’s largest sanctuary jurisdictions that shield illegal aliens from arrest and deportation.
Sources familiar with the operation told the Washington Post the raids will be carried out in sanctuary jurisdictions across California as well as in Denver, Colorado, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The Post reports:
The Trump administration is preparing an immigration enforcement blitz next month that would target arrests in U.S. cities and jurisdictions that have adopted “sanctuary” policies, according to three U.S. officials who described a plan with public messaging that echoes the president’s law-and-order campaign rhetoric. [Emphasis added]
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation, known informally as the “sanctuary op,” could begin in California as soon as later this week. It would then expand to cities including Denver and Philadelphia, according to two of the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe sensitive government law enforcement plans. [Emphasis added]
…
“We do not comment on any law enforcement sensitive issues that may adversely impact our officers and the public,” Mike Alvarez, an ICE spokesman, said Tuesday in response to questions about the planned raids. “However, every day as part of routine operations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement targets and arrests criminal aliens and other individuals who have violated our nation’s immigration laws.” [Emphasis added]
President Trump has recently gone after Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden for his lack of support among the law enforcement community, noting his plan to federally intervene in suburbs with strict zoning laws.
Most recently, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency has conducted raids in sanctuary jurisdictions in Chicago, Illinois, and Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, where local sheriff departments refuse to turn criminal illegal aliens over to ICE agents.
In the Mecklenburg County raid, ICE arrested 12 illegal aliens — six of which had already been freed back into the community by local law enforcement.
Likewise, ICE conducted a raid in Chicago that netted 88 arrests of illegal aliens. A number of those arrested had been convicted of crimes such as first-degree murder, attempted robbery, and domestic battery.
ICE officials have previously said that eight-in-ten illegal aliens released by sanctuary jurisdictions go on to commit additional crimes.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder.