Alex Villanueva, a progressive Latino who vowed to “kick ICE out†of the nation’s largest jail system if elected, was sworn in as Los Angeles County’s new sheriff on Monday.
He stunned the local political establishment last month after winning 53% of the vote to defeat then-Sheriff Jim McDonnell, who became the first incumbent voted out of that office in more than a century. Villanueva had recently retired from the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department with the rank of lieutenant after more than three decades of service.
A staunch supporter of California’s sanctuary state law, Villanueva appealed to African-Americans, Hispanics, labor unions, and registered Democrats in a deep-blue county. Together, they helped brand his nonpartisan opponent as a pro-Trump Republican who willfully collaborated with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“We will not allow any divisive policies from outside Los Angeles or California to dictate the way we do our job here,†Villanueva told the crowd assembled at East L.A. College, where he took the oath of office. “Our hard-working immigrant families shouldn’t have to wonder if we are here to protect them or to deport them.â€
Villanueva made several statements during the campaign that were perceived to be hardline stances against federal immigration authorities, but critics have accused him of sending mixed signals about cooperating with ICE.
The U.S. Air Force veteran promised “to create a very bright line between [the] department’s actions and ICE†and “actually physically kick ICE out of the county jails.â€
https://www.dailywire.com/news/39112/las-new-progressive-sheriff-vows-kick-ice-out-jeffrey-cawood
