Fresno Bee – The Trump administration on Monday accused the California state officials of “bankrolling” criminal human smuggling rings via so-called sanctuary policies.

On the eve of President Trump’s first visit to the state since taking office, his administration took another shot at California lawmakers who have pledged to fight a federal lawsuit against new state laws that extend protections to people living in the U.S. illegally. Administration officials said those laws and policies endanger federal agents and make immigrant communities less safe.

“We’re giving them a selling point,” said an administration official. “We’re lining their pockets. Sanctuary cities are bankrolling the very criminal organizations that can smuggle terrorists, that smuggle weapons, that smuggle drugs and have killed border patrol agents.”

Last week, the Trump administration filed suit against California challenging a new state law that restricts how and when state law enforcement can interact with federal immigration authorities.

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