As part of President Donald Trump’s efforts to bolster his ban on refugees and undocumented migrants, he has revived a program that allows local police officers to enforce current immigration laws. However, a chief from the Los Angeles Police Department still remains defiant of the president’s orders.
Apart from implementing a ban preventing refugees from certain Muslim countries from entering the U.S., Trump is also targeting sanctuary cities that continue to shelter undocumented aliens.
In order to ensure that these cities comply with immigration laws, Trump has revived a program to expand the roles of local law enforcers, Reuters reported. Now, police officers have the authority to enforce immigration policies and apprehend those that violate these laws.
The new program, as well as Trump’s latest policies, are being viewed as effective means in curbing the country’s immigration crisis. These also aim to ensure public safety by preventing individuals from countries with high terrorist activities from entering the country.
However, despite the nature of Trump’s latest orders, a high-ranking officer in Los Angeles has stated that he will fight against the president’s immigration laws. Charlie Beck, the police chief of the LAPD, said that he will not work with federal authorities in enforcing immigration laws.
“That is not our job, nor will I make it our job,” he said according to the Los Angeles Times.
Beck has been against Trump’s immigration policies since November. Even with the new laws, it seems he is still keen on defying Trump.
However, if Beck continues to go against the new policies, then this could have serious consequences for him and Los Angeles. As stated by Republican lawmakers, they are looking to implement resolutions that aim to strip sanctuary cities of federal funding if they fail to comply with immigration laws.
As for Beck, he could end up losing his position as chief if he fails to enact his new responsibilities as a law enforcer.
