The nation’s top immigration enforcer is likely to testify in a lawsuit brought by the Trump administration over California’s so-called sanctuary laws seeking to protect people in the country illegally, a federal judge said Wednesday.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kendall Newman said his “strong inclination” is to require four hours of sworn testimony by Thomas Homan, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s acting director. He said a final order is imminent.
Homan must back up claims that the federal government is suffering “irreparable harm” from three California laws that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities by employers and state and local law enforcement agencies, Newman said.
He rejected the argument by U.S. Justice Department attorney Lauren Bingham that such testimony would be too burdensome on a busy agency director.
“You’ve made your point. It doesn’t fly anywhere,” Newman said.