(NewsNation) — Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn said Wednesday the county will comply with federal immigration enforcement if presented with proper warrants, criticizing the Trump administration’s “indiscriminate” raids as federal overreach.
“If the federal government in Los Angeles County presents us with a federal warrant, our sheriff will absolutely open the jail up and turn over the convicted criminals that are in our custody,” Hahn said on NewsNation’s “Elizabeth Vargas Reports.”
She said that Sheriff Robert Luna will honor the existing agreement to cooperate with federal authorities when proper legal procedures are followed.
Hahn accused the Trump administration of conducting “irresponsible raids” that involve cornering people in cars, chasing farm workers across fields and pursuing day laborers with weapons drawn.
“This is not a way to enforce immigration policies,” Hahn said.
She said the tactics have created fear and anxiety in immigrant communities while representing a departure from the administration’s initial promise to target only violent criminals and gang members.
The supervisor defended the majority of protesters, saying they are demonstrating against what they view as federal overreach rather than supporting illegal immigration.
She noted that District Attorney Nathan Hochman reported only about a dozen arrests for violence out of approximately 4,000 protesters over recent days, with 203 arrests Monday night being for failure to disperse after a curfew rather than violent acts.
Hahn said the protests are concentrated in just one square mile of Los Angeles, a city covering 500 square miles within LA County’s 4,000 square miles.
She criticized the deployment of federalized California National Guard troops and active-duty Marines, calling it “theater” that costs taxpayers about $134 million.
The supervisor joined California’s governor in a federal lawsuit seeking an injunction to stop military deployments, which is scheduled to be heard Thursday. She said immigrant families in her district are suffering, with many afraid to attend church services or high school graduations.
When asked about Mexican flags being waved at protests and American flags being burned, Hahn said it doesn’t bother her given LA County’s diverse immigrant population.
She worried such displays might hurt the protesters’ cause, which she described as asking the federal government to stop unacceptable enforcement tactics.
