Federal immigration enforcement may soon escalate in California as the Department of Justice is now requesting inmate data from sheriff's departments in major California counties. According to the DOJ, the idea is to prioritize safety, however concerns are on the rise regarding its legality.
“This is not an immigration story,” said immigration attorney and founder of Eaton and Associates, Win Eaton. “It’s a fundamental fight over federalism, privacy, and the relationship between communities and police. Can we trust our local governments to protect us.”
This statement comes from a conversation between 23ABC and immigration attorney Win Eaton, following a press release from the Department of Justice.
The DOJ has formally requested lists of all non-U.S. citizen inmates from sheriffs in several major California counties, including the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, San Francisco County Sheriff’s Department, San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, and Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
The information requested includes details about these inmates’ criminal arrests or convictions, as well as their scheduled release dates.
Eaton acknowledges that this request may create fear within communities, but he notes that existing sanctuary laws complicate the situation.
“The California values act and it forbids state and local law enforcement resources, any California state resources to assist in federal immigration enforcement,” said Eaton.
We reached out to Governor Gavin Newsom’s office for a response on this matter and received this statement on this issue,
“California doesn’t tolerate any violent criminals being in its communities – as shown by its coordination since 2019 between ICE and state prisons, and local law enforcement. Instead, state law focuses on protecting communities from crime, regardless of who commits it, versus stopping people for their papers. The reality is that Stephen Miller and Trump don’t care to follow the law – they care about fear and chaos. They continue to test their mass detention techniques in California on American citizens and legal status holders, which is already having devastating effects on our economy and society.”
With California’s sanctuary policies in effect, it remains uncertain how sheriffs will respond. The DOJ indicates it is prepared to use legal measures if necessary.
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