House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) said on Monday that his home state of California was "breaking down the rule of law" by functioning as sanctuary state for illegal immigrants and protecting sanctuary cities.
"Fox & Friends" co-host Brian Kilmeade asked McCarthy about Gov. Jerry Brown's (D., Calif.) reaction to a lawsuit filed by the Trump administration. The lawsuit is aimed at halting California's sanctuary practices of refusing to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and ignoring federal immigration law.
"Do [Brown and California officials] represent Californians when he says that 'we want to be a sanctuary state and everyone's welcome and ICE better back off and local authorities don't cooperate with federal authorities?'" Kilmeade asked.
"No, not at all. Californians believe in the Constitution, and this is what's so outrageous here. We are a rule of law country," McCarthy said. "They are breaking down the rule of law by creating a sanctuary city."
McCarthy asked what would prevent states from ignoring any other federal laws they may not like if they are permitted to usurp federal authority on immigration. The congressman further expressed optimism for the administration's lawsuit, referencing a 2012 Supreme Court case, Arizona v. United States, which upheld the federal government's authority over the state's in matters concerning illegal immigration.