Many of the orders that judges issue restricting Trump administration policies are not orders that the judges have jurisdiction to issue. And none of the policies that sanctuary politicians implement are permissible under federal law. One United States Attorney in California is showing the GOP how to deal with Dems on an unauthorized power trip: tell them to go jump in a lake.
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) is extremely proud of signing a monolithic new legislation package to undermine federal enforcement in California, including by taxing private detention centers 25% and banning shock gloves. Bill Essayli, first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California and a tireless warrior against corruption and fraud, is not in the least impressed. Newsom can label federal immigration enforcement “Orwellian” all he wants, but what is truly Orwellian and illegal is his own government’s attempt to usurp federal authority.
Essayli warned Newsom:
Governor, we’ve been through this already. If you want to regulate federal agents, you have to win a federal election. Until then, you have no jurisdiction. Accordingly, I have advised DHS to disregard your bill attempting to ban safe and effective less-lethal tools that agents need to escalate dangerous situations.
— F.A. United States Attorney Bill Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) September 29, 2026
By the way, Essayli also came up with the great idea of bringing federal charges against illegal alien criminals whom local or state sanctuary politicians refuse to release to ICE. And Essayli told Newsom his ridiculous recent legislative package to protect and reinforce the election fraud machine in California will not stop federal election investigations. This one attorney is doing more to punch holes in Democrats’ two-tiered justice system than some entire agencies are.
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Essayli works for the Trump administration, and other attorneys and officials within the administration could and should take a page out of his book. Notably, 8 U.S. Code § 1324 penalizes anyone who “conceals, harbors, or shields from detection, or attempts to conceal, harbor, or shield from detection” an illegal alien.
There is more than one provision of federal law dealing with interference with federal officers’ operations, including 18 U.S. Code § 118, which targets anyone who “obstructs, resists, or interferes with a Federal law enforcement agent engaged, within the United States or the special maritime territorial jurisdiction of the United States, in the performance of the protective functions.” I mention these laws because they destroy sanctuary politicians’ argument that they (the politicians) have the authority to thwart federal immigration officers.
Essayli is not acting as a petty tyrant. That is the role of Newsom, the governor whose office staff depict him with a crown drawn over his head. Essayli is simply pointing out that California does not have the authority to override federal laws. If we do not have rule by laws, but only rule by a thousand gavels or rule by whichever politician happens to be most audacious, how can we possibly have a Republic?
