October Immigration Enforcement Blitz Could Begin In California

CALIFORNIA — The Trump administration is allegedly gearing up for an immigration enforcement sweep in October, The Washington Post reported Tuesday. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation, known to insiders as the "sanctuary op," could begin in California as soon as later this week.

After sweeping the Golden State, the operation would expand to cities including Denver and Philadelphia, according to two U.S. officials who spoke with The Washington Post anonymously.

The effort dovetails with the president's law-and-order campaign rhetoric, the anonymous officials told The Washington Post.

Read more in The Washington Post: ICE preparing targeted arrests in sanctuary cities

California reliably backs immigration rights advocates, and Gov. Gavin Newsom, signed two new laws in the past week that would support immigrants.

AB 1876, was signed Sept. 18 and will allow more undocumented immigrants to receive a state tax credit, worth hundreds of dollars. The law would financially back low-income households regardless of immigration status.

AB 3228, signed Monday, would allow individuals to sue private detention facility operators if they fail to provide standards of care listed in the facility's contract and to collect fair costs and attorney's fees, The Los Angeles Times reported Monday.

California's "sanctuary" law, signed by former Gov. Jerry Brown in 2017, prevents local law enforcement from helping immigration enforcement agencies to locate, detain and take the custody of immigrants after being released from jail.

But it does not protect immigrants from federal officers entirely.

Here is a list of California's so-called "sanctuary" cities and counties identified by the Center For Immigration Studies:

• Alameda County
• Berkley
• Contra Costa County
• Fremont
• Los Angeles County
• Los Angeles
• Monterey County
• Napa County
• Oakland
• Riverside County
• Sacramento County
• San Bernardino County
• San Diego County
• San Francisco County/City
• San Mateo County
• Santa Ana
• Santa Clara County
• Santa Cruz County
• Sonoma County
• Watsonville