Why Is a California Police Chief Trying To Protect Illegal Immigrants From ICE?

The law enforcement veteran and InVest USA founder discusses the actions of Daniel Casabian, and how it could force police officers into bending to his request.

I will never understand the way some of these California officials think.

If it’s not one thing with district attorneys allowing criminals to walk free from heinous crimes, it’s another with higher-up police administration that believes they have an understanding of what’s best for its people – even if they aren’t necessarily from California.

That’s the case with Mammoth Lakes Police Chief Daniel Casabian, who made it very clear that he is not on board with President Donald Trump’s plan to send ICE agents to arrest illegal immigrant criminals within his state. In fact, he vows to use his police force to actually protect these people, potentially putting them at odds with orders from the commander in chief.

“The topic of immigration enforcement is of great concern in our community,” Casabian noted. “I am sharing this message today to remind our residents and visitors that there has been no change in the procedures and policies of the Mammoth Lakes Police Department regarding immigration.

“Our agency does not enforce federal law, and we do not inquire about the legal status of anyone that we encounter. Our priority is the public safety of our community, and we want any victims or witnesses of a crime to feel comfortable communicating to us without fear of being detained for their legal status.”

There are several things wrong with that statement.

First off, you can talk about local policies all you want. That’s fine. I expect local police officers to follow their local policy – provided that it doesn’t counter an order from higher up. That’s exactly with Casabian is doing, vowing to put these illegal immigrants ahead of an order issued by President Trump.

As a result, these officers could very well be at odds with the commander in chief, and I know a lot of them actually support Trump and cheered (like I did) when he returned to public office. Imagine having to listen to Casabian’s orders just so they can keep their job, even though they know he’s clearly in the wrong.

Let’s continue.

“Our agency does not enforce federal law.”

Again, with local policies, this could make sense. But that does not mean you get to ignore it either. Trump’s order for ICE agents to detail violent immigrants is an effort to clean up the ongoing border crisis that the previous President Joe Biden, foolishly created.

And by not hearing out what Trump has in mind and instead sticking to your own policies, you are keeping the citizens of your fine city in danger – not to mention the officers who are now powerless to do anything against them.

“Our priority is the public safety of our community, and we want any victims or witnesses of a crime to feel comfortable communicating to us without fear of being detained for their legal status.”

If that were the case, and you truly cared about the community, then you wouldn’t turn a blind eye to what Trump is trying to do. Violent gangs have pretty much set up shop in various cities across California, and by protecting them – and endangering American citizens in the process – you are essentially going against your own word. You vow that you’re seeking “public safety” for your “community,” Daniel…but are you really?

I understand that there are some concerns out there but Trump is trying to “rip families apart,” as it were, in an effort to get illegal immigrants shipped back to where they came from. But that’s not what I see.

I see a man who knows the mess that Biden created allowing violent gang members and those who mean Americans harm to simply waltz into our country. And he’s doing something about it. What’s more, he’s got a dedicated method that has been working very well, though there’s still a lot to be done.

Casabian believes his heart may be in the right place. But the fact he’s going up against the commander in chief and demanding his fellow officers do the same – whether they believe in his words or not – is just plain wrong. This is a time in which Casabian should, of course, stick to local policies, but also remember what he signed on to fight for.

For the better of our American people and for the better of the community.

Casabian doesn’t seem to be going in that direction.