The new ICE age

Federal agents’ arrest of nearly 500 immigrants from coast to coast on Thursday was breathtaking less for its scope than with the brazenness with which Immigration and Customs Enforcement went after its ultimate target: “sanctuary cities” like New York that for good reasons refuse to cooperate with ICE agents.

The very title of the sweep, “Operation Safe City,” sent the message that sanctuary cities put their own citizens’ safety at risk in misplaced sympathy with criminals.

Among those arrested were 45 from New York City. Of those, the sole criminal bio presented for public inspection — presumably the worst of the lot — says this green card holder was convicted of sexual abuse of a minor and endangering the welfare of a child.

Good riddance. But nearly half of those arrested nationally had no convictions at all on their records. Many who did were dinged for petty offenses like traffic violations and voyeurism. Deportation is many years and judicial hearings away for most if it happens at all.

If ICE is making the case for anything against anyone, it’s for Attorney General Jeff Sessions in his so far thwarted effort to punish sanctuary cities.

Sessions announced in July that his Department of Justice would limit Edward R. Byrne public safety grants, around for more than a decade, to cities that invite ICE agents into their jails and provide advance alerts about immigrants’ release. No go, said an Illinois federal judge last month, suspending the rules while Chicago’s lawsuit seeking to reverse them proceeds.

Our city and theirs refuse cooperation because it would dangerously drive immigrants away from working with local law enforcement and also because the Constitution’s 10th Amendment makes clear the federal government can’t bully localities into submission.

Don’t even try.