The U.S. Attorney’s Office has announced a plan that’s already underway to circumvent California’s so-called “sanctuary state” law that prohibits local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration officials by directly issuing federal arrest warrants for undocumented immigrants being held in jails across the state.
U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli outline the program, dubbed “Operation Guardian Angel,” on May 19.
The operation, which began May 10, “seeks to neutralize California’s sanctuary state policy and protect Americans from criminal illegal aliens incarcerated in county jails by issuing federal arrest warrants for them,” according to a statement from his office.
U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bilal “Bill” Essayli, pictured in an undated photo.
Thirteen defendants had already been taken into federal custody under the program as of May 15, officials said.
As Operation Guardian Angel continues, DOJ staff will file complaints and federal arrest warrants “to take as many defendants as possible into custody from state jails,” the statement said.
Essayli said the program is necessary due to California’s policies.
“Even 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,” he said.
“These laws effectively render federal immigration detainers meaningless,” Essayli continued. “The days of giving criminal illegal aliens a free pass are over. While California may be presently disregarding detainers, it cannot ignore federal arrest warrants.”
As an example, federal officials cited the case of José Cristian Saravia-Sánchez, 30, of Mexico, who stands accused of shooting and killing a man who tried to stop him from stealing a catalytic converter in Inglewood in February of 2025.
“Despite the fact he was an illegal alien who had been convicted of vehicle theft, was removed from the United States in 2013, and had been arrested 11 times between June 2022 and August 2024, local law enforcement was prevented by state law from complying with an immigration detainer request,” the DOJ statement said.
What is California’s ‘sanctuary state’ law?
California enacted Senate Bill 54, also known as the California Values Act, in 2017. It has since been written into law as California Government Code 7284.
It bars local law enforcement officials from cooperating with federal immigration officials in most circumstances.
The bill mandates that California law enforcement agencies shall not use any department resources or personnel to “investigate, interrogate, detain, detect, or arrest persons for immigration enforcement purposes,” the law reads.
Prohibited activities specifically barred in the code include inquiring into an individual’s immigration status; detaining an individual on the basis of a hold request; providing information to immigration officials, except under specified circumstances; participating in arrests based on civil immigration warrants; and performing functions of an immigration officer, among others.
The Central District of California includes Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Trump administration seeks to thwart California sanctuary state law