yahoo | “California
is in so many ways a trendsetter, whether it is in pop culture or in
politics,” Holder told Yahoo News. “That’s why it was such an attractive
possibility for me to go to California and work with the legislators
there in crafting their response to the Trump administration — because I
think what California does gives courage to other states and other
public officials in other parts of the country who might be thinking
about principled opposition. It shows how that opposition can take
shape.”
So
far, the legal resistance has been largely improvised, with young
liberal lawyers spontaneously descending upon airports in the wake of
Trump’s Muslim travel ban and state attorneys general individually
butting heads with Jeff Sessions, their federal counterpart.
Holder wants to change that.
“You
look at this as kind of a continuum, where you oppose the policy as it
is proposed, you hope that it doesn’t become law, but then, to the
extent that it does, you use the courts to try to overturn it,” he
explained. “As the different states and different public officials start
to stand for the same things and take the same positions — as they
start to use the same tactics — the opposition becomes that much more
effective.”
For now, Holder will continue to set the stage in California. (Earlier this month, the state assembly decided not to renew his $25,000-a-month contract;
the state Senate, however, plans to retain his services indefinitely.)
And while immigration isn’t the only hot-button topic on Holder’s to-do
list — de Leon is also soliciting his advice on climate change and
health care — it’s the one that’s front-and-center right now, as Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents ramp up noncriminal deportations and the courts consider whether Trump’s executive order on sanctuary cities is constitutional.
“We’re
here with a very clear purpose: to underscore the undeniable truth that
preserving and enhancing trust, real and genuine trust between law
enforcement and the diverse communities they serve, is essential for the
safety and well-being of all residents of this great state — indeed,
this great nation,” Holder said at Monday’s event, alluding to the
argument that undocumented immigrants will stop reporting crimes to the
local cops if those same officers are also tasked with deporting them.
“California
is leading,” Holder concluded. “California is doing the right thing.
This is something that needs to be done nationwide.”
If Holder gets his way, he will spend the months and years ahead ensuring that’s exactly what happens.
