Attorney General Sessions Threatens to Punish ‘Sanctuary Cities’

Attorney General Jeff Sessions moved on Thursday to punish “sanctuary cities,” threatening to deny federal crime-fighting funds to Stockton, San Bernardino, Albuquerque and Baltimore if officials in those cities do not ramp up their efforts to help detain and deport undocumented immigrants.

The four cities’ police departments were asked to show proof of their compliance by August 18. The Los Angeles Times: relayed details of Sessions’ advance notice:

The Justice Department sent letters to cities struggling with gun violence, telling them they will be ineligible for a new program that aims to root out drug trafficking and gang crime unless they give federal immigration authorities access to jails and provide advance notice before releasing someone in custody who is wanted on immigration violations. The cities … all expressed interest in the Justice Department’s new Public Safety Partnership, which enlists federal agents, analysts and technology to help communities find solutions to crime.

Sessions said in a statement that accompanied the letters: “By taking simple, common-sense considerations into account, we are encouraging every jurisdiction in this country to cooperate with federal law enforcement. That will ultimately make all of us safer — especially law enforcement on our streets.” The four cities the letters were sent to have faced increases in violent crime in recent years — and would make them ineligible for an anti-violence program if they don’t help detain and deport undocumented immigrants.

The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico denounced the DOJ’s threats. Reports U.S. News and World Report:

ACLU-NM Executive Director Peter Simonson said Thursday that those demands were “a bullying tactic” from Attorney General Jeff Sessions who is “determined to make misery in the lives of immigrant families.” Simonson says the attorney general’s actions are “petty, coercive, and dangerous” for Albuquerque as the city sees a rise in crime.

Trump’s Department of Homeland Security has long issued warnings to California law enforcement for refusing to comply with calls to help immigration enforcement. Los Angeles police chief Charlie Beck said earlier this year that reports of sexual assault and domestic violence have decreased among Los Angeles’ Latino residents, a development he believes might be motivated by fear of deportation. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti also expressed resistance to the policies, disputing the administration’s claim that it can withhold federal funds from cities that don’t comply with ICE orders.

The Department of Justice initially planned to involve 12 cities in the program but may still name additional sites later this year. The statement from Sessions follows President Donald Trump’s endorsement of a problematic immigration bill aimed at creating a racist, classist “merit-based” immigration system.

—Posted by Emily Wells

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