Hello, happy Thursday. It’s day four of Trump 2.0, and things are moving quickly.

Today’s topic is immigration. However, we could just as easily focus on the end of civil rights-era protections against discrimination. Muzzling of key health and safety departments. Or even end any pretense of impartiality by removing diversity employees from federal agencies. And how can we forget the J6 pardon?

There’s so much going on that the reality is that most of us can’t keep up. This is probably more a matter of strategy than a flaw in the new administration. We are forced to ration our anger at such brutal acts.

But let’s analyze President Trump’s actions regarding immigration. This alone is enough to exhaust even the most avid political news buff.

Orders keep coming in

So what exactly has Trump and his administration done about immigration? Use bullet points for clarity.

• effectively closed the southern border to people seeking asylumThis includes the cancellation of refugee flights from countries such as Afghanistan. Thousands of people are coming to the United States after supporting our troops in Afghanistan, and many want to reunite with family members already here.
• expanded the rules It allows people to be deported with little red tape, from people at the border who have recently crossed the border to illegal aliens from anywhere in the United States who entered the country within the past two years. No criminal history required. So much for chasing bad guys.
• It repealed a ban on migrant raids on churches, schools and other “sensitive” places, which already causes fear among migrants.
• He ordered active-duty military personnel to be sent to the border. Up to 10,000 military personnel could be sent to the southern border and other points of entry, but their exact mission remains unclear.
• Can we trust that the Supreme Court will care if we are trying to abolish the birthright of citizenship enshrined in the Constitution?
• And on Wednesday, Congress brought forward the Laken-Reilly Act, making it more likely to be on President Trump’s desk soon. This would require the detention of people accused of theft and other minor crimes (those who have not even been convicted), significantly increasing the number of people detained and raising serious concerns about due process. is occurring.

They are all big hits. Others include: End efforts to reunite children separated from their families during President Trump’s first term.

Battle of the Sanctuary

Next is President Trump’s attack on sanctuary cities, which is likely to be directed primarily at California and Los Angeles in particular.

As aptly detailed by my colleague Tony Barboza, one of President Trump’s first executive orders on Monday included “so-called ‘sanctuaries’ that seek to impede the lawful exercise of federal law enforcement operations.” It included language that would prevent the jurisdiction from receiving access to federal law enforcement agencies. funds. ”

order This was followed by a memo from President Trump’s new Justice Department, warning prosecutors that “state and local He ordered a search for those involved.

Attorney General’s Memo The federal government is also working with the newly created Sanctuary Cities Enforcement Task Force within the Office of the Assistant Attorney General to identify state and local law policies, policies, and activities that are inconsistent with the executive branch’s immigration policy and to , and to take legal action to challenge such laws.”

All of this together makes it very clear that California, and especially Los Angeles, which is in dire need of federal funding, would be a target for such an effort. The question is how long it will last.

Will Karen Bass be arrested for not handing over the names of illegal aliens who requested city assistance? Could a superintendent be arrested for enforcing state and local laws and policies that prohibit immigration officers from entering campuses? Could a priest or pastor be arrested for giving sanctuary? Do you have it?

freeze or fight

In theory, the answer to all of these is yes. But Kevin R. Johnson, an immigration law expert and professor at the University of California, Davis, told me that’s unlikely.

He sees much of the discussion about sanctuary cities as a “rattle of swords” and said he would be surprised if the Trump administration started raiding churches and public schools and arresting mayors. Ta.

But he also said that “all of this is going to create damage, even if it’s not as severe as we expect.”

And although the governor has not come forward on this issue, California Atty. General Rob Bonta.

Mr. Bonta, a strong candidate for the next gubernatorial election, is also called rhetoric. “It’s a strategy of fear, plain and simple.”

“The president is attempting to intimidate and bully state and local law enforcement into carrying out his mass deportation plan,” Bonta said in a statement. “My team is reviewing the Department of Justice memo and stands ready to take legal action if the Trump administration’s vague threats turn into illegal activity.”

Bonta also said that California law, specifically the California Values ​​Act, which took effect in 2018, requires that “state and local law enforcement agencies use taxpayer funds to enforce federal immigration laws, with some narrow exceptions.” “It is prohibited,” he said.

Still, these are threats that cannot be ignored. Especially since President Trump followed up on them himself in Tuesday’s press conference. Aid to Los Angeles and his One bill rules everythingIn particular, President Trump has renewed his promise to press for federal funding to force cooperation.

“I think we’re in a good place,” President Trump said. “Los Angeles is going to need a lot of money, so we’ve simplified that in some ways. I think you’ll find, generally speaking, that a lot of Democrats are looking for help.”

He continued with this reality:It may become more one-sided.”

Therefore, arrests of local officials are probably not necessary. Perhaps this threat is enough to at least let our sanctuary cities stand by quietly, unopposed and unmolested, while President Trump does whatever he wants with immigrant communities.

Perhaps we will be forced to choose whether the plight of our undocumented neighbors or the despair of the fire victims is more important.

Or we may refuse to choose, refuse to prioritize one greater need over the other, and choose the more difficult path. A path that does not use pain to divide us, but instead gives us common ground to fight together.

What else to read:

Must read: ‘Return of the King’: President Trump embraces the trappings of the throne
What happened: Trump Justice Department prepares to crack down on immigration
LA Times Feature: Column: Inside the Bakersfield attack that showed how confusing President Trump’s immigration policies can be