Judge wrote a letter to US Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland Security.
The Chief Justice of California Supreme Court Tani Cantil-Sakauye on Thursday wrote a letter addressed to US Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Secretary of Homeland Security John asking the administration to prevent immigration arrests inside the state’s courthouses.
The Chief Justice accused federal immigration agents for “stalking undocumented immigrants” in the courthouses to make arrests and said she was gravely troubled by recent reports.
“Enforcement policies that include stalking courthouses and arresting undocumented immigrants, the vast majority of whom pose no risk to public safety, are neither safe nor fair,” the letter read. “They not only compromise our core value of fairness but they undermine the judiciary’s ability to provide equal access to justice.”
“I am concerned about the impact on public trust and confidence in our state court system if the public feels that our state institutions are being used to facilitate other goals and objectives, no matter how expedient they may be,” she wrote.
However, ICE’s (Immigration and Custom Enforcement) spokesperson for western region, Virginia Kice told NBC that the agency had no comment about Cantil-Sakauye’s letter.
“While ICE does arrest targets at courthouses, generally it’s only after investigation officers have exhausted other options,” Kice said adding that may immigrants detained at or near court houses have previous convictions.
“When criminal custody transfers occur inside the secure confines of a jail or prison, it’s far safer for everyone involved, including our officers and the person who’s being arrested,” Kice told the news channel.
According to a report by Reuters, local officials have complained about such incidents for several years. Several immigration rights groups have alleged that ICE agents have entered court houses with increased frequency this year, including in California, Massachusetts, Maryland and Texas.