US Attorney Launches New Initiative to Navigate California’s Sanctuary Laws Protecting Undocumented Immigrants from ICE
Operation Guardian Angel employs federal arrest warrants instead of ICE detainers, allowing federal authorities to detain county jail inmates.
In a significant shift for the Trump administration’s deportation strategy, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for California’s Central District, along with federal partners, has initiated a program aimed at countering California’s sanctuary state policy.
A major campaign promise from President Donald Trump during his bid for a second term included the broad deportation of millions who entered the country unlawfully under the Biden administration.
According to Ciaran McEvoy, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles, reentry into the U.S. after being deported is classified as a felony under Title 8 law.
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“Even if they wish to comply, they are unable to,” McEvoy informed The Epoch Times.
Operation Guardian Angel navigates around state law utilizing federal arrest warrants, which enforce the counties to surrender the targeted undocumented immigrants.
Essayli emphasized in the press release that “the most dangerous criminal aliens in state custody are often released back into the community” due to California’s sanctuary policies obstructing cooperation with federal law enforcement.
“These laws effectively render federal immigration detainers ineffective. The era of allowing criminal undocumented immigrants an easy pass has ended,” he asserted. “While California may presently overlook detainers, it cannot disregard federal arrest warrants.”
Since its inception on May 10, the program has led to the arrest of 13 individuals as of May 15 in California. The Operation Guardian Angel task force comprises ICE, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The California federal district encompasses Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Los Angeles counties. An estimated 1.5 million undocumented immigrants reside within this area, including gang members, according to the press release, which asserts that California’s protections for criminal undocumented aliens compromise community safety.
The release highlighted an incident in February 2025 where José Cristian Saravia-Sánchez, a 30-year-old from Mexico, fatally shot an Inglewood man who attempted to prevent him from stealing a catalytic converter, a case that drew national attention.
He was an undocumented immigrant previously convicted of vehicle theft, had been removed from the U.S. in 2013, and was arrested 11 times between June 2022 and August 2024, according to the release. However, state law prohibited local law enforcement from adhering to an immigration detainer request, the release detailed.
The office of California Governor Gavin Newsom did not provide a response to a request for comment from The Epoch Times by the time of publication.
