Local law enforcement officials doubt Trump will tell ICE agents to leave California

President Donald Trump’s comments that he is considering pulling U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers from California prompted similar reactions from law enforcement officials in Fresno – they don’t think he really means it.

The president made his comments Thursday at a White House meeting of local and state officials about school safety and gun violence. The administration is targeting the MS-13 gang, Trump said, but “has been getting no help from the state of California.”

“Frankly, if I wanted to pull our people from California you would have a crime nest like you’ve never seen in California,” he said. “All I’d have to do is say, ‘ICE and Border Patrol, let California alone,’ you’d be inundated. You would see crime like nobody has ever seen crime in this country.”

He added: “If we ever pulled our ICE out, and we ever said, ‘Hey, let California alone, let them figure it out for themselves,’ in two months they’d be begging for us to come back. They would be begging. And you know what, I’m thinking about doing it,” he said.

Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims’ response to Trump’s apparent threat? “My hope is that it’s an off-hand remark.”

But if the president ever did pull ICE agents, “we’ll have criminals coming to California to escape ICE,” she said. The president is correct that MS-13 gang members are a threat to public safety, she said.

Trump appears to be taking a swipe at California over its sanctuary state policies and the sanctuary cities movement of limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer said he too believes Trump “just made an off-the-cuff comment.”

“I would hope the president wouldn’t punish all of California for decisions made by local and state politicians regarding the sanctuary cities status,” he said.

Some jurisdictions may limit cooperation with ICE, but Fresno County is not one of them, Mims said: “If he’s seriously thinking of this, target the counties that don’t want to cooperate with ICE and send the resources to us.”

There are fewer illegal immigrants in the county jail that many in the public believe, she said. In August, 90 of approximately 3,000 inmates housed there were in the U.S. illegally, she said.

But the president made one temporary fan with his remarks: The American Civil Liberties Union of California.

“Studies have shown that communities that limit cooperation with ICE agents are safer,” said Jennie Pasquarella, immigrants’ rights director. “Mr. President, we’d welcome an ICE-free California.”

Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp declined a request for a comment. Assistant District Attorney Steve Wright suggested questions be directed to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

This story was originally published February 22, 2018 at 5:00 PM with the headline "Local law enforcement officials doubt Trump will tell ICE agents to leave California."