Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) stressed that California law enforcement has “no obligation” to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with deportation and background check procedures.
meanwhile Appeared on CBS's “Face the Nation.” Host Maj. Garrett asked Padilla about President-elect Trump's promises regarding mass deportations, including declaring a national emergency on immigration and potentially using military assets. Garrett said Tom Homan, Trump's nominee as “border czar,” has threatened legal action against law enforcement agencies, including cutting funding to states that refuse to cooperate.
“I think there's an important difference here,” Padilla replied. “No state government, not Texas or California or any other state in the nation, has the constitutional authority to impose federal immigration laws that are the responsibility of the federal government.”
He noted that while some states, such as Texas, are exploring ways to assist ICE, they are “not required to do so.”
“We're not going to use state or local resources to do the job of the federal government,” Padilla said.
He emphasized that this distinction is also important for public safety.
“California is America's most populous state, the nation's most diverse state, and home to more immigrants than any other state in the nation. Immigrant victims of crime are afraid to come forward. “The last thing you want to do is report that crime,” he said. “The last thing we want is for immigrants who may be witnesses to a crime to be afraid to come forward and share the information they have in the investigation and prosecution of a crime.”
“Let the federal government do the federal government's jobs, but let the state and local officials do the state and local officials' jobs,” he continued. “There is no need for a conflict to occur unless President Trump wants it to happen.”
