Legal analyst Gregg Jarrett said Monday on Fox Business how Democratic officials attempting to harbor illegal immigrants could face legal repercussions, including jail time or the withholding of federal funds.
Illegal immigrant Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, a 33-year-old Guatemalan national, was indicted on Friday for allegedly killing a woman by setting her on fire during a subway ride. On “The Bottom Line,” Jarrett was asked about an immigration detainer placed on Zapeta-Calil, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) telling Fox News that although a detainer was lodged, the New York City Department of Corrections would not honor it due to its current policy.
“Well, that individual is defying several federal laws. It’s a crime to conceal, harbor, or shield anybody here illegally. It’s also a felony to interrupt, hinder, or impede federal officials in deportation, as you just pointed out,” Jarrett said.
“So for example, in Denver, the mayor at one point promised, ‘Oh, I’m going to mobilize police and the citizens. We’re going to stop Trump’s deportation orders.’ Well, I got news for him,” Jarrett added. “That is a crime punishable by five years behind bars for each illegal you are shielding. So if you’re shielding 10, that’s 50 years, 20, that’s 100 years behind bars.”
Since President-elect Donald Trump’s victory in November, Democratic officials have ramped up their pushback against his plans for the largest deportation of illegal immigrants. Leaders like Democratic Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Democratic Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, and Denver Mayor Mike Johnston have vowed to resist Trump and his nominated border czar, Tom Homan, with Johnston even saying the city’s police and residents will not assist in the process.
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Jarrett went on to say that if prison time wouldn’t intimidate Democratic officials enough, a cut in federal funding could be enough to ward off their threats.
“If the threat of prison isn’t enough to get the attention of these mayors and governors, I say hit them where it really hurts, their wallets,” Jarrett said. “That’s all they care about is money. Congress passed a law in 1996 that requires them to cooperate with ICE, detainers, information, and so forth. If they don’t do it, they can lose billions of federal dollars doled out each year.”
“That would bankrupt certain cities and states. So it’s long overdue to force these sanctuary jurisdictions to abide by federal law, which, by the way, supersedes any state or local laws on deportation,” Jarrett said.
Since his nomination as border czar in November, Homan has repeatedly warned against the pushback to Trump’s deportation plans. During an interview on Fox News, Homan told Democratic officials, like the mayors, to “get the hell out of the way” and said that attorney general nominee Pam Bondi could bring legal charges.
Prior to Election Day, polls showed that illegal immigration was one of Americans’ top concerns when choosing who to vote for. Since President Joe Biden took office in 2021, the southern border has seen record-high numbers, with over 7 million illegal immigrants encountered by officials, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data.
(Featured Image Media Credit: Screenshot/Fox Business/”The Bottom Line”)
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