Top Trump advisor warns California cities not to block immigration enforcement

California officials, along with dozens of others across the country, received letters this week from Stephen Miller’s nonprofit, America First Legal, warning them of the consequences for interfering with or impeding illegal immigration enforcement. The notices come as Trump’s incoming “border czar,” Tom Homan, the former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, suggested on Fox News that city officials who don’t help the administration deport people living in the country illegally could face criminal charges. We’ve got a strong coming in, Pam Bondi, and we will present these prosecutions, so you know, don’t test us.” Bonta issued a statement Friday, calling the threats “a scare tactic, plain and simple.” The statement goes on to say that California lawmakers adopted Senate Bill 54 in 2017 to ensure that no state and local resources are used to assist with federal immigration enforcement. Bass has expressed support for a “sanctuary city” law recently passed by the L.A. City Council that forbids city employees and resources from being involved in federal immigration enforcement. Nora Vargas, chair of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, who recently announced she would not serve a second term, said the newly adopted board policy to restrict the use of county resources for federal immigration enforcement was developed with “careful legal review to ensure full compliance with federal law.” “We will not allow local resources to be used for actions that separate families, harm community trust, or divert critical resources from addressing our most pressing challenges,” Vargas wrote in a statement to The Times.