Vice President Mike Pence blasted Democratic Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf for sending out a warning message to illegal immigrants before a sweep in the Bay Area, in an interview Monday night.
“The mayor’s actions are disgraceful on a couple levels. Number one, she’s setting aside her oath of office to uphold the laws of the land, the rule of law,” Pence told Sean Hannity on Fox News.
Schaaf, who sent out a message saying she had heard from multiple sources of a possible crackdown on illegal immigrants in the area, one day before a massive sweep by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), is currently being investigated by the Department of Justice for her actions.
Pence has spoken to Attorney General Jeff Sessions about the issue, calling it “utterly unacceptable.”
“I spoke to the attorney general about this. The majority of individuals who are being targeted by immigration and customs enforcement had a criminal record. So for the mayor of Oakland to warn them in advance of actions by ICE personnel actually put those law enforcement officers at risk; that’s just utterly unacceptable,” he said.
WATCH:
.@VP: “The [Oakland] mayor’s actions are disgraceful on a couple levels. Number 1, she’s setting aside her oath of office to uphold the laws of the land and the rule of law.” #Hannity pic.twitter.com/Zhn55RO009
— Fox News (@FoxNews) March 13, 2018
ICE began arresting people one day after Schaaf’s warning message as part of a “targeted immigration enforcement operations,” according to Fox News. Around half of the illegal immigrants arrested have past criminal history, including assault and weapons charges as well as other violent crimes.
One of the illegal immigrants arrested in the sweep is a well-known gang member who has served over 15 years of prison time and has been deported by ICE four times. Armando Nuñez-Salgado, 38, from Mexico, was arrested Sunday. (RELATED: Oakland Mayor Sends Out Warning On Possible ICE Raid)
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ICE Deputy Director Thomas Homan also criticized Schaaf for sending out the warning message to the public, saying she put the officers at greater risk by publicizing “her suspicions.”
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