Here's How Trump-Appointed U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli Is Outfoxing CA's Sanctuary State Laws

Trump-appointed U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli isn’t playing games in his new job. The former GOP member of the California State Assembly is taking on California over its ridiculous “sanctuary state” policy, and he’s winning.

On Monday, he announced on social media the launch of a new operation called “Guardian Angel” which is already forcing law enforcement to hand over illegal aliens to ICE, much to their chagrin, one might speculate.

I’m excited to announce the launch of Operation Guardian Angel which will neutralize California’s sanctuary state policies. Under the Trump Administration we will not allow sanctuary jurisdictions to stand in the way of keeping the American People safe. https://t.co/QQ0SwWlxLf
— U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) May 19, 2025

Fox News’ Bill Melugin, whose reporting on the border crisis and the Biden illegal immigrant tsunami has been superb, posted a long thread Monday that explained how Essayli is accomplishing this feat and getting results:

EXCLUSIVE: We witnessed an incredibly rare sight in the sanctuary city of Los Angeles, as Twin Towers jail transferred an illegal alien inmate to ICE custody, not because sanctuary policies have changed, but because the jail is being *forced* to cooperate w/ ICE as part of a new federal operation designed to "neutralize" California's sanctuary state law. The new Trump-appointed US Attorney in Los Angeles, @USAttyEssayli, launched "Operation Guardian Angel" last week, and it's already forcing sanctuary jails to make transfers to ICE.

EXCLUSIVE: We witnessed an incredibly rare sight in the sanctuary city of Los Angeles, as Twin Towers jail transferred an illegal alien inmate to ICE custody, not because sanctuary policies have changed, but because the jail is being *forced* to cooperate w/ ICE as part of a new… pic.twitter.com/j7DhevmVwr
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) May 19, 2025

Sanctuary City Mayor Slammed in Congress for Release of Violent Tren de Aragua Gang Member

Sounds good. But how exactly does Guardian Angel work? Melugin explains:

Essayli has organized a federal task force made up of ICE, FBI, HSI, DEA, and ATF, working out of an office in downtown LA. Every single day, they are now scanning criminal databases w/ fingerprints and identifying illegal aliens in jails throughout Southern California who have been previously deported from the United States.
If they've come back to the US after a deportation, they've committed a federal felony under 8 USC 1326 known as "illegal re-entry".

Formal press release from Essayli's office officially announcing the operation & citing its importance regarding a story we covered in February re: a neighbor murdered by two illegal aliens in LA County while interrupting a catalytic converter theft. One of the aliens had been… pic.twitter.com/aX1sUhYsIY
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) May 19, 2025

Once Essayli and Co. have determined that someone has committed a felony by re-entering the country, the whole game changes:

As soon as the task force ID's an alien booked into a local jail who has a previous deportation, they seek a federal criminal warrant on them for felony re-entry, signed off on by a federal judge.
Unlike an administrative ICE warrant or ICE detainer request, these criminal judicial warrants for 8 USC 1326 *CANNOT* be ignored by sanctuary jurisdictions, and California's sanctuary state law cannot shield aliens from these criminal warrants. Instead of releasing the alien inmates and ignoring ICE detainers, jails must hand the aliens over to the Feds, regardless of sanctuary policy.

In other words, boom. You’ve been outfoxed, California enablers.

As things ramp up, Essayli's task force looks to nab 40-50 felons a week, and if the program continues to show success, it can be a model for other U.S. attorneys around the country dealing with the scourge of sanctuary cities.

This is the way.

Thanks to President Trump, illegal immigration into our great country has virtually stopped. Despite the radical left's lies, new legislation wasn't needed to secure our border, just a new president.

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