Judge Lawrence Brown
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Sacramento Superior Court Judge Lawrence Brown
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested an illegal alien inside a Sacramento courtroom last week, determined to do their job despite California lawmakers' attempt to make the state a "sanctuary" for illegal immigrants.

Charles Pacheco, a Sacramento attorney, said the arraignment for his client, Yovanny Ontiveros-Cebreros, was concluding when ICE agents handcuffed Cebreros and escorted him from the building.

Pacheco said he asked Superior Court Judge Lawrence Brown to step in, and Brown placed Cebreros in an area designated for defendants who are in custody.

Though he initially tried to prevent ICE's arrest, Brown told Pacheco he had to support ICE's warrant for arrest. He told Pacheco he was "puzzled," according to Pacheco.

"The judge was weak-he had no control of his courtroom, and allowed the federal government to come into his court," Pacheco told The Sacramento Bee.

"Brown just wanted to neutralize the situation so he could figure out what was going on, and then he felt that it was justified that the [ICE] guy said there was a warrant for illegal re-entry."

In a statement to The Sacramento Bee, Brown said judges cannot prevent lawful arrests from taking place.

"Remanding on an outstanding arrest warrant issued by another jurisdiction is the province of the Sheriff's department," Brown said. "It happens on a regular basis, particularly in large felony arraignments courts. The court was mindful of the concerns raised by counsel about a chilling effect on undocumented persons coming to court-one articulated far more thoughtfully by the Chief Justice of California-but such concerns could not impede enforcing a lawfully-issued warrant at the moment."

ICE has made similar arrests in Fresno courthouses, just south of Sacramento.

Last year, California state Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye told federal immigration agents to stop looking for illegals in California's courtrooms.

"Enforcement policies that include stalking courthouses and arresting undocumented immigrants, the vast majority of whom pose no risk to public safety, are neither safe nor fair," she wrote.