The Trump administration reportedly rolled out a new policy that blocks the transfer of arrested illegal immigrants with pending charges in California back to local authorities.
Instead, these individuals will be routed directly into the federal deportation system.
The move, which federal officials argue will prevent criminal aliens from slipping through the cracks, comes amid a surge of enforcement actions nationwide.
In support of this agenda, the administration is also deploying 200 Marines to Florida to provide backup to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents during upcoming deportation raids.
U.S. Northern Command confirmed the deployment Thursday, stating that the military personnel will support ICE’s “interior immigration enforcement mission.”
Though these Marines will not engage in direct contact with detainees, their presence marks another significant use of military assets in immigration enforcement.
Additional deployments are reportedly planned for Texas and Louisiana.
The latest development follows a similar operation last month in Los Angeles, where 700 Marines were sent to bolster National Guard units during riots targeting ICE facilities.
That action drew outrage from California Governor Gavin Newsom, who accused President Trump of “escalating” the situation.
But Washington is making it clear that cooperation with sanctuary states like California is no longer guaranteed.
New Federal Operation will neutralize Sanctuary state policies. This is what I voted for! pic.twitter.com/SMGFXYKLSi
— Doreen Linder (@DorLinder) July 2, 2025
Under the newly reported directive, migrants in federal custody who are facing criminal charges in California will be deported rather than handed over to local law enforcement—unless those charges involve particularly violent crimes or murders.
Tom Homan, President Trump’s border and immigration advisor said that the policy change was about preventing repeat offenders from being released due to California’s sanctuary protections.
“If someone wants someone back into custody to prosecute them, they need to do a writ guaranteeing us that when they’re done they’ll give them back to us,” Homan told Fox News.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman attempted to downplay concerns that criminals were being released, saying, “If they don’t have faith that we can do our job, I would say they should have that faith.”
“And once they’ve served their jail or state prison time, they’ll be turned immediately over to the federal officials. With the warrant it’s automatic,” he added.
Still, Homan suggested that California’s track record doesn’t inspire much confidence in federal officials who have seen criminal illegal aliens released before federal agents could reapprehend them.
The administration’s frustration with California’s sanctuary policies reached new heights this week when the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass, and other top officials.
“Sanctuary City laws and policies are designed to deliberately impede federal immigration officers’ ability to carry out their responsibilities in those jurisdictions,” the complaint states.
“The Los Angeles Ordinance and other policies intentionally discriminate against the Federal Government by treating federal immigration authorities differently.”
On Thursday, the Supreme Court delivered a victory to the Trump administration by allowing deportations to proceed for a group of convicted criminals with no real ties to South Sudan.
In a 7-2 decision, the high court overturned an injunction that had temporarily blocked the removals.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor, writing in dissent and joined by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, condemned the ruling, claiming it allowed the administration to bypass legal procedures.
“Today’s order clarifies only one thing: Other litigants must follow the rules, but the administration has the Supreme Court on speed dial,” she wrote.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security later published details on the individuals targeted in the deportation flight to South Sudan.
“We conducted a deportation flight from Texas to remove some of the most barbaric, violent individuals illegally in the United States,” DHS stated.
“No country on earth wanted to accept them because their crimes are so uniquely monstrous and barbaric.”
