MAJOR GARRETT: You know, President elect Trump has promised mass deportations. You also know, in California, there is a state law that tells local law enforcement not to participate and cooperate with ICE agents in deportation or identification processes. The incoming Trump administration border czar, Tom Homan, has said any law enforcement who don’t cooperate will be prosecuted under federal law. How is this going to be resolved?
PADILLA: Yeah, well, I think there’s an important distinction here. No state government, not Texas, not California, not any state in the nation has a constitutional authority to impose federal immigration law that is the responsibility of the Federal Government. Some states like Texas want to push the envelope and try to find a way to assist, but there’s no obligation to do so, and that’s what California leaders and municipal leaders throughout the…
