Punishing the mayor of Oakland

Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf is in a war with ICE as she attempts to thwart the efforts of the federal government to detain and deport criminal aliens from her "sanctuary city" community. Two weeks ago, she revealed to the public information she had received indicating that ICE agents planned to sweep through Oakland and remove those illegal felons from the community. As a result, while 150 criminals were detained, an estimated 800 mostly violent felons escaped into the community, allowing the mayor to grandstand. She continues to threaten similar moves against U.S. law in the future. There are suggestions that the mayor be arrested and prosecuted for obstruction of justice by aiding and abetting the hiding of felons. Such an action in the jurisdiction of California's Ninth Circuit is a total waste of time, as most of that court's judges have proven themselves incapable of putting the law before their political agendas and the pace of the courts can best be described as glacial. Even were she to be removed, undoubtedly another liberal politician would step up to replace her.

Instead, ICE can take other actions without involvement of the courts while leaving the politicians to appear foolish and absorb the blame for the consequences. There are three immediate actions that would be effective and, quite frankly, fun to watch as they unfold. The Cry Wolf Approach The mayor has promised to continue her seditious conduct and disclose information on any impending ICE sweeps intended to detain criminal aliens. Federal enforcement agencies should be able to plant false information that raids are planned that do not materialize. After two or three false alarms, Mayor Schaaf's credibility will be destroyed for her target audience, and ICE will be able to make its sweeps without warning the local authorities. Chain Deportation ICE can make the entire illegal community of Oakland nervous. The agency has always made a point of stating that its purpose is not to detain "non-criminal" aliens [i.e., aliens whose only crime is illegal entry into the U.S., with all that that entails –ed.] and that the force is not interested in collateral arrests. However, since local officials refuse to cooperate, forcing ICE to arrest out in the community, an announcement that any illegal alien encountered, whether associated with or related to the targeted alien or not, will be detained for deportation. This approach can be named the Schaaf Sweep, letting all of Oakland understand who is responsible for this tactic. Subsequently, many of Oakland's illegals will relocate from the city to avoid the risk of becoming "collateral damage" courtesy of Mayor Schaaf. Employer Visits The federal government should increase its sweeps on Oakland businesses by auditing construction companies, car washes, landscapers, restaurants, and any other business likely to employ illegals, felons or otherwise. Employers will not risk hiring the "undocumented" after a few of them are awarded stiff fines in addition to legal fees. Enforcement of the employment laws will thereby make sanctuary status meaningless if there are few jobs to support the illegal population. None of these suggestions is likely to involve the courts, since the mayor doesn't have much recourse for her own triggering of the Law of Unintended Consequences. The three suggestions are already established within current department regulations and do not require additional legislation to exercise. They are merely a shift in administrative focus within the Department of Homeland Security for its ICE agents...and they could become a nightmare for the mayor.