Oakland Mayor Calls Trump ‘Bully in Chief’ and Vows to Resist ICE Raids

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf defiantly told reporters on Wednesday that she would go to jail if necessary in order to resist any raids that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents (ICE) may conduct in her city.

Schaaf’s defiance came after Oakland City Council voted unanimously to end any cooperation with ICE following rumors that ICE would be conducting raids in Northern California in order to arrest approximately 1,500 illegal aliens.

Schaaf, in a manner that clearly shows her repugnance to the rumors, to President Donald Trump and federal immigration laws, said:

“It is no surprise that the bully in chief is continuing to try to intimidate our most vulnerable residents. We’re very clear that our values are to protect all of our residents regardless of where they came from. We are here to make sure that people feel safe. That mothers can feel that they can pick up the phone and call their local police department. Dial 911 safely. We are here to protect families not rip them apart.”

Tell that to Kate Steinle’s family, Mayor Schaaf!

Their family was ripped apart when Kate was killed in a sanctuary city. Who was protecting her?

When asked further what she was going to do when ICE came to make arrests because the “police won’t be there to help” “her residents” in Oakland, Schaaf stated:

“Let me be clear. Cities that have sanctuary status are engaging in their legal right to be a sanctuary city.”

Schaaf went on to say, “We are exploring whether there are legal actions we can take against the federal government for retaliating against cities and jurisdictions that are exercising their fully legal right to be a sanctuary city.”

What right is the Mayor speaking about? Does she even know?

The U.S. Supreme Court “ruled that the federal government has broad and exclusive power to regulate immigration, preempting state and local laws that also attempt to do so.”

“The Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution (Article VI, Clause 2) establishes that the Constitution, federal laws made pursuant to it, and treaties made under its authority, constitute the supreme law of the land. … Even state constitutions are subordinate to federal law.”

What part of the law does Schaaf not understand?

Schaaf has vowed that Oakland police department will do nothing to assist ICE in their raids. Schaaf believes that the “police are here to protect” and that by participating they would be invoking fear into the “residents”.

When asked if she is ready to go to jail over it, Schaaf answered an emphatic, “Yes!”

Recently, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said federal prosecutors were looking into whether or not they could charge sanctuary city leaders.

If it turns out that they can be prosecuted, may I suggest you start with California and specifically the Mayor of Oakland and the Governor of California, Jerry Brown who made California a sanctuary state without the approval of the People of California.

It is possible that cases involving charging those in “leadership” who are defying federal immigration law may have to be brought before the U.S. Supreme Court for a final decision.

Ultimately, the Supreme Court could decide that it is only Congress who has the final say on immigration law and issues pertaining to whether charges can be brought against those in leadership positions.