LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – Hundreds of protesters greeted Attorney General Jeff Sessions as he visited a federal court in downtown on Tuesday.
Protesters clad in brightly colored safety vests held hands and arms to block Spring Street, where sessions with prosecutors in Los Angeles were to be held.
He later delivered the speech at the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation’s annual lunchtime session at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel, where he defended the government’s controversial zero-tolerance policy on the detention of children who enter the United States illegally. The sessions blew up what he termed the “open border crowd”, citing democratic immigration policies that allowed more than one
Millions of undocumented immigrants continue to be prosecuted in the southern part of the country.
“From coast to coast – maybe especially on this coast – there are politicians who think that it is mean, unfriendly or even bigoted to have a border at all,” said Sessions. “The vice chairman of the Democratic National Committee recently wore a t-shirt that said ‘I don’t believe in borders.’ I wonder what his neighbors think of this. “
The Department of Justice’s public affairs office and a spokesman for the US Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles would not pre-approve the visit.
“This is the Trump era,” Sessions said. “We’re enforcing our laws again. We know which side we are on – we are on the side of the police and we are on the side of the American people. ‘“
About two dozen members of the clergy were arrested after bandaging guns and ignoring a police order to disperse. Reverend Felicia Parazaider said the clergy on the street objected to sessions quoting Bible verses while defending his border policy.
“I’m an interfaith minister, and I don’t pretend to know all about every scripture, but Jesus’ message was about love, and it’s about involving and welcoming your neighbor,” she said.
Several clergymen were arrested in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday. (Photo credit: Kara Finnstrom)
The police warned five minutes before the arrests. A sergeant announced on a loudspeaker that the protest was an illegal gathering. By then, most of the hundreds of protesters had taken to the sidewalk to watch, but the clergy stayed on Spring Street, bandaged their arms, and sat.
The Los Angeles Police Department had already closed the Spring Street section in front of the courthouse between Temple and Aliso Streets, and the clergy appeared to be putting up no resistance as LAPD officers walked down the line asking them to stand up and handcuff them be tied up. The arrests lasted over 30 minutes to complete by LAPD officers.
Last week, under heavy bipartisan pressure, President Donald Trump ended a policy of separating children from their parents on the U.S. border.
Despite the uproar, Sessions said he was convinced Americans support the government’s immigration efforts.
“In the 2016 election, voters said loud and clear that they want a legitimate immigration system that serves the national interest,” he said.
“They said we waited long enough. I believe this is one of the main reasons why President Trump won. He promised to address this crisis that so many before him had ignored or made worse. And now he’s doing exactly what the American people asked him to do. “
Meetings suggested that California’s Sanctuary Law is severely curtailing efforts by US immigration and customs officials to arrest and prosecute criminal immigrants.
“This has real ramifications,” Sessions told the gathering.
“ICE tells us that they can only track about 6 percent of the criminals that they demand the jurisdiction of protected areas to hand over. The other 94 percent walk freely and often on their way to the next victim. “
“If you don’t allow us to deport someone who enters illegally and then commits another crime – who will you agree to deport?” asked the AG.
“Unfortunately we know the answer to that – nobody.”
The sessions added that non-criminal immigration policies “send” a message to those in developing countries who are ignorant of US immigration laws and believe they will be safe from prosecution once they cross the border.
“Gangs and drug cartels … see if we are deporting criminals or not,” Sessions said. “You can see whether we have a border wall or not. You can see whether we reward illegal foreigners with benefits or not. “
“That is why the Justice Department, under President Trump’s leadership, is working to end safeguards,” he continued, referring to a recent DOJ lawsuit against the state alleging that California laws are enforcing federal law Impede immigration law and affect public safety.
“I am confident that together we will win this case,” said Sessions. “Since 1819 it has been regulated that a state cannot actively try to undermine the implementation of the federal law or to discriminate against the federal government. The American people are with us on this. “
Sessions blamed democratic politics of ignoring border security, saying the “open border crowd” is “desperately struggling not to grant the good and decent wishes of the American people”.
“They don’t like it when we deport people – even criminal foreigners,” said the AG. “They don’t like it when we stop people at the border – even these smuggled children. They don’t like internal enforcement and they don’t like enforcement in the workplace. No matter what we do, they complain. “
Pointing out California, Sessions said that many of the state’s politicians believe that “any border at all is mean, unfriendly, or even bigoted.”
According to Sessions, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said, “There’s really no difference between my parents and (illegal) immigrants other than a piece of paper.” Paperwork, i.e. compliance with our law, is important. And it’s a shame I have to tell the top law enforcement officer in California. “
Sessions added, “We are determined. We will keep fighting. With President Trump and your strong support for the police and the rule of law, I am confident that we will turn the tide and protect the American people. “
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All rights reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)
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