Jeff Sessions calls out California on immigration failures after announcing lawsuit

Attorney General Jeff Sessions did not hold back in Sacramento, California, Wednesday, as he formally announced a lawsuit against the Golden State over its failure to comport with federal laws on immigration. 

Sessions particularly called outOakland’s mayor, Libby Schaff, after she tipped off an immigrant community to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid, as an example of what he sees as California’s lawlessness. 

“So here’s my message to Mayor Schaff,” Sessions added. “How dare you, how dare you needlessly endanger the lives of our law enforcement officers to promote a radical open borders agenda?” Sessions 

The DOJ lawsuit argues that federal laws trump state ones, and California is violating the U.S. Constitution with laws and policies that prohibit the federal government from enforcing immigration laws and punishing illegal immigrants who commit crimes. 

“I’m afraid this is an embarrassment to the proud state of California,” Sessions said.

Sessions has prioritized cracking down on cities that fail to comply with federal immigration authorities — called “sanctuary cities” — in his time as attorney general, following through on campaign promises and platforms President Trump made, as CBS News’ Paula Reid has reported.