U.S. attorney in LA launches crackdown on sanctuary policies in California jails

New U.S. attorney sanctuary city crackdown in California jails

U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli has launched a program called "Operation Guardian Angel" to combat sanctuary city immigration policies.

LOS ANGELES - Newly sworn-in U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli has launched a new program across Southern California to combat sanctuary city immigration policies.

Essayli’s newly announced "Operation Guardian Angel" allows federal authorities to enter jails across Southern California to make arrests.

This operation is intended to "neutralize" sanctuary state laws, his office said. 

"We have agents working around the clock," Essayli said. "As soon as someone is booked in the county jail, we’re able to access their fingerprints."

His administration will identify people with criminal records who have been deported and charge them with illegally reentering the United States, a federal crime.

"First they’re going to come to court, and they’re going to be charged and tried on that felony," said Essayli. "They may end up serving many years in federal prison before they’re deported. That is what the California politicians are doing to these immigrants. They’re subjecting them to more prison time by doing this sanctuary state policy."

In an interview Wednesday, Fox 11 asked Essayli if he considers Los Angeles a "sanctuary city".

"No," responded Essayli.  "It’s not a sanctuary."

Essayli's operation comes after the LA City Council voted last years to officially become a sanctuary city, preventing city resources from being used to help enforce federal immigration laws.

A spokesperson from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office pushed back, saying the governor has previously rejected multiple bills that would have weakened law enforcement’s ability to coordinate with ICE.

State officials say they already cooperate with federal officials with regard to immigrants who have committed crimes.

"State law has explicitly permitted cooperation in these circumstances for many years," said a Newsom spokesperson.

Essayli is a former state assemblyman and the son of Lebanese immigrants.

He told Fox News he created a group of federal officials to look through databases to identify jailed immigrants who had been deported. 

Essayli estimates roughly 50 arrests per week through Operation Guardian Angel across his district’s seven Southern California counties.

"This isn’t just some power struggle between the feds and the state, we’re actually trying to keep people safe," said Essayli.