In December 2015, San Francisco resident Pedro Figueroa-Zarceno reported his car stolen. When he came for the police report, Immigration and Customs Enforcement was notified. Because Pedro is here illegally from El Salvador. He was picked up, and spent two months in federal immigration detention.

Now Pedro is suing San Francisco. His lawyer, Saria Hussain, says: “As a victim of crime, Pedro Figueroa was exactly the type of person who should have been protected” by San Francisco’s sanctuary ordinance. Because Trump is promising mass deportations and threatening sanctuary cities, she says, everyone in law enforcement must be “held accountable.”

No, she doesn’t see the irony in asking for law enforcement to be accountable. This woman is a liberal.

Incidentally, Pedro was flagged because he had an outstanding warrant. He was supposed to be deported ten years ago. He also has a drunk driving conviction.

Now he is demanding monetary damages. He also wants to force San Francisco police to file immigration paperwork stating he was falsely imprisoned. This could make him eligible for a visa. Meanwhile, San Francisco is investigating the officers who handled Pedro’s case to see if they should be punished.

Unless something changes, Mr. Zarceno can assume his lawsuit against the city will be resolved before immigration catches up with him again. They are backlogged over two years.

This system needs fixing. Not later but right now.