The Department of Justice issued a warning to California after some of the state’s top Democrats said arresting federal agents for perceived violations of state law is on the table as immigration enforcement continues.
Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), alongside Rep. Kevin Mullin (D-Calif.), said, “While the president may enjoy absolute immunity courtesy of his rogue Supreme Court, those who operate under his orders do not. Our state and local authorities may arrest federal agents if they break California law — and if they are convicted, the president cannot pardon them.”
Brooke Jenkins, the San Francisco district attorney, revealed her office has drawn up plans to arrest federal agents should they use force in her city as they have during violent protests and riots in Los Angeles and Chicago. Jenkins explained that the San Francisco Police Department is on board with the idea in cases of “clear, excessive use of force,” according to the New York Times.
The SFPD did not respond to a request for comment from the Times.
In a letter to Pelosi and Jenkins, the DOJ wrote that it views “any arrests of federal agents and officers in the performance of their official duties as both illegal and futile. Numerous federal laws prohibit interfering with and impeding immigration or other law-enforcement operations.”
The DOJ further promised to prosecute any state or local official who violates federal law in the case of any arrests.
