US Attorney’s New Program Gets Around California’s Sanctuary Laws Shielding Illegal Immigrants From ICE

Operation Guardian Angel uses federal arrest warrants rather than ICE detainers to let federal authorities take county jail inmates into custody.

Protesters show their signs after a press conference by California state Sen. Brian Jones when he announced SB 554, a bill that would overhaul the state's sanctuary law, in front of the San Diego County Administration Building on Feb. 20, 2025. Jane Yang/The Epoch Times

In what could be a game changer for the Trump administration’s deportation efforts, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for California’s Central District and federal partners launched a program to “neutralize California’s sanctuary state policy.”

Operation Guardian Angel, announced by federal officials on May 19, will file complaints and arrest warrants to allow federal authorities to take as many defendants as possible into custody from county jails, according to a Department of Justice press release.

“Under the Trump administration, we will not allow sanctuary jurisdictions to stand in the way of keeping the American People safe,” U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, who launched the test program, posted on X.

One of President Donald Trump’s main campaign promises for a second term was the mass deportation of millions who came into the country illegally during the Biden administration.

If a person who has been deported reenters the country illegally, that’s a felony under Title 8 law, said Ciaran McEvoy, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles.

California’s state law—Senate Bill 54—prevents county sheriff’s departments and local law enforcement from honoring an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer.

“Even if they want to turn them over, they can’t,” McEvoy told The Epoch Times.

Operation Guardian Angel gets around the law through federal arrest warrants, which McEvoy said leave the counties no choice but to hand the targeted illegal immigrants over.

Essayli stated in the press release that “the worst criminal aliens in state custody are frequently released into the community” because California’s sanctuary state policies block cooperation with federal law enforcement.

“These laws effectively render federal immigration detainers meaningless. The days of giving criminal illegal aliens a free pass are over,” he stated. “While California may be presently disregarding detainers, it cannot ignore federal arrest warrants.”

The program, which began May 10, has resulted in the arrest of 13 defendants as of May 15 in California. The Operation Guardian Angel task force is made up of ICE, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The California federal district is home to the counties of Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Los Angeles County. An estimated 1.5 million illegal immigrants reside in the district, including gang members, the press release said, adding that California’s protection of criminal illegal aliens makes residents less safe.

The release noted that in February 2025, José Cristian Saravia-Sánchez, 30, of Mexico, shot and killed an Inglewood man who tried to stop him from stealing a catalytic converter, which garnered national attention.

He was an illegal immigrant who had been convicted of vehicle theft, removed from the United States in 2013, and arrested 11 times between June 2022 and August 2024, according to the release. However, local law enforcement was prevented by state law from complying with an immigration detainer request, the release stated.

The office of California Gov. Gavin Newsom did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Epoch Times by publication time.