Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials say they've arrested more than 100 people who have violated immigration laws as part of a larger operation in the Los Angeles area that began on Sunday.
According to the Los Angeles Daily News, the Los Angeles-area team is targeting around 400 people across seven counties which include Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.
The sweeps began on Sunday and targeted individuals who "pose a threat to national security, public safety, and border security," Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officials said.
In a statement issued back in December, Chief Charlie Beck said the policy of the Los Angeles Police Department was to limit their cooperation with federal agents in enforcing immigration laws. He wrote that the LAPD "is neither authorized nor responsible for the enforcement of civil immigration laws or regulations." Police say illegal immigrants may not otherwise assist with other types of police investigations if they believe they will be deported after coming forward.
California has led the charge in fighting back against the Trump administration's policies on immigration. Several cities in California passed "sanctuary" protections for those who were here in the U.S. illegally, which Sacramento eventually adopted for the entire state.
ICE has not said whether or not the raids in Los Angeles were related to a larger crackdown in California.