(Los Angeles) The Trump administration announced Monday to continue Los Angeles to contest its status as a “sanctuary” city for immigrants, just over two weeks after the demonstrations opposing muscular operations of the immigration police.
The federal government accuses this policy, which limits the collaboration of the local police forces with the federal immigration police, of having encouraged the clashes having punctuated certain gatherings in the Californian megalopolis.
“Sanctuar policies were the main cause of violence, chaos and attacks on the police whose Americans have recently been witnesses to Los Angeles,” the general prosecutor, Pam Bondi, in a statement.
“Jurisdictions like Los Angeles who flout the federal law by giving priority to foreigners in an irregular situation rather than to American citizens undermine the application of the law at all levels-this will end under the presidency of Trump,” she added.
Photo Noah Berger, Associated Press
Demonstration in Los Angeles, June 14
Largely peaceful, the rallies in early June had sometimes degenerated into violence and clashes with the police, in a small Los Angeles part.
Faced with the images of burnting Robotaxis and buildings covered with graffiti, Donald Trump then deployed 4,000 soldiers from the California National Guard and 700 marine soldiers.
Local authorities have accused him of “making a crisis”, saying that local police were largely enough to manage demonstrations and condemning violence.
Donald Trump has erected the fight against immigration in absolute priority since his return to power and has promised to expel millions of people in an irregular situation.
A promise difficult to make, complicated by the existence of many democratic cities and sanctuar states in the United States.
The complaint of the department, filed Monday before a Federal Court of California, aims at the mayor of Los Angeles Karen Bass and the president of the municipal council.
Photo David Swanson, Reuters archives
The mayor of Los Angeles Karen Bass
The sanctuary policy applied by the city, in accordance with a local order, is “illegal”, according to this complaint, which claims its cancellation.
“These laws and policies are designed to hinder and discriminate the application by the federal government of the federal immigration law”, argues the complaint, adding that “the explicit objective” of the measure is “to prevent” federal agents “from fulfilling their obligations”.
Contacted, the town hall of Los Angeles did not immediately respond.
In February, the Department of Justice had already filed a complaint against the Democratic State of Illinois and the City of Chicago, two “sanctuar” jurisdictions.
