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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.
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US Attorney’s New Program Gets Around California’s Sanctuary Laws Shielding Illegal Immigrants From ICE
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
Darlene McCormick Sanchez
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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.
Darlene McCormick Sanchez
Darlene McCormick Sanchez
Reporter
Darlene McCormick Sanchez is an Epoch Times reporter who covers border security and immigration, election integrity, and Texas politics. Ms. McCormick Sanchez has 20 years of experience in media and has worked for outlets including Waco Tribune Herald, Tampa Tribune, and Waterbury Republican-American. She was a finalist for a Pulitzer prize for investigative reporting.