The Trump administration is suing the city of Los Angeles, alleging that the city’s sanctuary policies directly impede federal immigration authorities from doing their jobs.
The lawsuit comes after a series of widespread immigration raids that resulted in protests as well as clashes with law enforcement. Trump later sent in the California National Guard and the Marines to respond to the Los Angeles area protests, a rare use of military might in response to demonstrations.
“Sanctuary policies were the driving cause of the violence, chaos, and attacks on law enforcement that Americans recently witnessed in Los Angeles,” Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News in a statement.
“Jurisdictions like Los Angeles that flout federal law by prioritizing illegal aliens over American citizens are undermining law enforcement at every level — it ends under President Trump,” Bondi added.
The lawsuit says that the city is discriminating against federal authorities by treating ICE differently than other types of law enforcement. (RELATED: [WATCH] Authorities Sound Off After CNN Pushes Anti-Police Tool)
The Department of Justice argues that the Supremacy Clause in the U.S. Constitution prohibits this, so they are asking a judge to block the enforcement of the policies.
“Sanctuary City laws and policies are designed to deliberately impede federal immigration officers’ ability to carry out their responsibilities in those jurisdictions,” the lawsuit filed on Monday stated. “The Los Angeles Ordinance and other policies intentionally discriminate against the Federal Government by treating federal immigration authorities differently than other law enforcement agents through access restrictions both to property and to individual detainees, by prohibiting contractors and sub-contractors from providing information, and by disfavoring federal criminal laws that the City of Los Angeles has decided not to comply with,” the lawsuit continues.
“The Supremacy Clause prohibits the City of Los Angeles and its officials from singling out the Federal Government for adverse treatment — as the challenged law and policies do — thereby discriminating against the Federal Government. Accordingly, the law and policies challenged here are invalid and should be enjoined,” it added.
Los Angeles saw protests and riots earlier this month as ICE carried out operations across the region, prompting President Donald Trump to deploy the National Guard — a move that has since faced legal challenges.
At the time, Mayor Karen Bass condemned the violence but argued that Trump’s deployment of troops instigated the unrest. (RELATED: Media Favorite Defends Alleged Gang Bangers — You Won’t Believe The Quote)
The lawsuit is the fourth from the Trump administration challenging sanctuary policies. Similar litigation targeting sanctuary cities and states has been filed in Chicago and Illinois, Colorado, and New Jersey.
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Yes & deny Fed funds too