Steve Cortes, founder of the League of American Workers, has criticized states like California for allegedly undermining federal immigration law through what he describes as “seditious tactics that must be strongly opposed.” This statement was made on the social media platform X.
“State governments like California engage in openly seditious tactics against federal immigration laws and enforcement,” said Cortes. “This disloyal, anti-American nullification movement MUST be called out aggressively.”
In 2025, California and several other states expanded sanctuary laws and restricted local cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol. According to The Washington Post, these actions have sparked legal confrontations with the Trump administration. State leaders argue that such policies are necessary to protect immigrant communities and preserve local authority, while federal officials have responded by threatening funding cuts in response to the growing state-federal standoff.
A report from the Migration Policy Institute in June 2025 found that 13 states and over 200 local governments have formal sanctuary policies limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities. This has resulted in a 28 percent reduction in federal enforcement actions like detainer requests and removals compared to states without such laws.
According to a 2025 review by the Government Accountability Office, states with high levels of cooperation with federal immigration authorities—such as Texas and Florida—have a 35 percent higher rate of ICE arrests and removals than sanctuary states. However, these states also face greater legal disputes and community resistance.
Cortes is also President of the League of American Workers and serves as a senior political advisor to CatholicVote. He is a former senior advisor to President Trump and JD Vance, as well as a commentator for Fox News and CNN. Cortes regularly releases documentaries and columns at cortesinvestigates.com.
