101 arrested in Los Angeles in crackdown targeting "sanctuary cities"

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 101 people in Los Angeles for immigration violations in a nationwide crackdown targeting the so-called "sanctuary cities," ABC 7 news channel reported Thursday.

The report said the operation coded "Operation Safe City" concluded Wednesday in which nearly 500 people were arrested across the country over the last few days.

The ICE was quoted by the report as saying that the crackdown focused on cities and regions where "ICE deportation officers are denied access to jails and prisons to interview suspected immigration violators or jurisdictions where ICE detainers are not honored."

Besides Los Angeles, raids were also made in San Francisco and San Jose of California, and other states, such as Illinois, Colorado, New York, Oregon and Massachusetts.

U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has tightened up crackdown on illegal immigration since Donald Trump was sworn in as president in January. But the move was hindered by "sanctuary cities."

The DOJ then threatened to cut federal funds to these cities, but this initiative was challenged by many "sanctuary cities," among which Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago have filed lawsuits against the DOJ.