A California mayor who warned residents about an impending raid by Immigration and Customs Enforcement says she has no regrets doing so.
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf feels she was right in her decision back in February, telling Buzzfeed in a recent interview that her community’s values are “not aligned with our laws.”
Schaaf came under fire again for defending her actions, as her words came amid a government battle over funding a border wall to keep out illegal immigrants and following the tragic shooting of Newman Police Cpl. Ronil Singh by an illegal immigrant.
The Democrat mayor defied the law and President Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration when she took to Twitter to warn residents of the progressive city that ICE agents were “preparing to conduct an operation in the Bay Area, including Oakland.”
The federal agency noted that the mayor’s warning had thwarted efforts and left nearly 900 illegal immigrants “at large in the community” as agents were only able to arrest about 150 in the area for violating U.S. immigration laws.
— Libby Schaaf (@LibbySchaaf) February 25, 2018
“I have no regrets, none. The more time goes by, the more certain I feel that I did the right thing in standing up for our community and pointing out our values are not aligned with our laws,” Schaff told BuzzFeed. “That’s hopefully the message that is sent out.”
The liberal mayor, who was re-elected to a second term in November, slammed Immigration and Customs Enforcement as well.
“This agency has gone astray and has so broken the trust, particularly in cities like mine, I believe we would all be better served to start from scratch,” she said.
Schaff came under heavy fire after her move to warn residents of the raid, prompting the Department of Justice to even consider looking into possible obstruction charges.
Thomas Homan, then-acting director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, blasted the mayor at the time.
“What she did is no better than a gang lookout yelling ‘Police!’ when a police cruiser comes in the neighborhood, except she did it to a whole community,” he told “Fox & Friends.”
“There’s over 800 significant public safety threat criminals … that we are unable to locate because of that warning, so that community’s a lot less safe than it would’ve been,” he added.
Vice President Mike Pence slammed the activist mayor for her “disgraceful” actions and for “setting aside her oath of office to uphold the laws of the land.”
Republican Rep. Steve King of Iowa proposed the Mayor Libby Schaaf Act of 2018, aimed at imposing criminal penalties and up to five years of imprisonment on “sanctuary” city officials who obstruct the work of the federal agency.
But Schaaf justified her decision at the time and continues to stand by it, telling Buzzfeed that part of her reason was personal as she recalled a conversation with her special assistant Karely Ordaz, a recipient of the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals program, who told her after the 2016 election that immigrant communities always live in fear.
“I thought, this information is not going to panic people. People live in a state of panic, we have neighbors, co-workers, people we sit next to in the church pews that live in this constant state of fear and yet it is invisible to us, because it is a status they don’t wear,” Schaaf said.
“How could I live with myself if it came to be that my sharing this information could have kept a family together?” she asked.
Actually, many wondered how Schaaf does live with herself in the wake of Singh’s tragic murder.
And this fine officer has now lost his life. Blood on your hands @LibbySchaef. SHAME ON YOU! pic.twitter.com/9yJ3KrDcds
— Mrs. (@Armywifemrsvet) December 28, 2018
@LibbySchaff Please call Officer Ronil Singh’s widow and tell her about having no regrets. pic.twitter.com/pxfc9Te1bj
— Welcome, you’ve got mail. (@DemsRLikeAOL) December 28, 2018
Excellent timing on this story – officer Singh would be alive today if ICE shared data with police officers.
— Equalopportunity H8r (@eqloprtntyhtr) December 28, 2018
When we decide which laws we will endorse we take the slippery slope towards anarchy. When the example of lawlessness you endorse becomes unwieldy and descends into the chaos of anarchy you will beg for the cover of established law to come to your aid.
— Michael Montana (@mmontana2015) December 28, 2018
Of course, she has no regrets. It was a useful tool for her reelection campaign, Schaaf playing it up to the hilt in multiple glossy mailers. Schaaf, the ultimate anti-Trump. The ploy, hyped endlessly by reporters, worked in November with Oakland’s new gentrifying liberals.
— Dave Id (@DaveId) December 27, 2018
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf says she has “no regrets” after helping 800 illegal aliens evade an ICE raid.
Wow….
This lady’s salary is funded by the American taxpayers yet she is protecting illegal aliens.
She needs to be arrested for aiding & abetting the escape of fugitives.
— Sophie Smith (@SophieS26342796) December 29, 2018
@LibbySchaaf did no one a favor in her community but the illigals who are there. ICE is not out of control, lady…they are supposed to collect illegals. YOU are out of control.
— Terry Mehlhorn (@Full_Metal_Chef) December 28, 2018
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Frieda@bizpacreview.com
Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.
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