Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin said on Wednesday he hopes the FIFA World Cup will help strengthen cooperation between the federal government and sanctuary cities.“Even in sanctuary cities, where we have some of these games, we’ve had great cooperation with local and state officials,” he said during sworn testimony in front of the House Homeland Security Committee. “I hope when FIFA is over, we can show that we can work together and continue to keep our cities and our streets safe.”Los Angeles is the host of eight World Cup matches, starting on June 12. The sanctuary city will host one of the four quarterfinal games on July 10.
Under California law, state and local law enforcement agencies are barred from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement, especially when it comes to detainer requests filed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Tensions are high between federal authorities and sanctuary jurisdictions as anti-ICE protests plague Delaney Hall, a private-run detention center in Newark, New Jersey.
Mullin recently said he would pull Customs and Border Protection officers from Newark Liberty International Airport and dispatch them to Delaney Hall if New Jersey didn’t cooperate. Democratic lawmakers have expressed concern that he may do the same to other airports in blue cities or states.
