Attorney General Jeff Sessions: Sanctuary cities must end
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Trump administration is continuing its tough talk against "sanctuary cities," which shelter people living in the country illegally by refusing to help the federal government enforce immigration laws.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions says he is "urging states and local jurisdictions to comply with these federal laws."
He says the Justice Department will require compliance with immigration laws in order for the cities to receive grants through the Office of Justice Programs. The Obama administration had a similar policy in place.
President Trump had said during the campaign that he would "defund" sanctuary cities by taking away their federal funding.
But legal precedent suggests that would have been difficult to do.
Sanctuary cities include Seattle, New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, as well as many smaller municipalities.
So who could lose money?
Snohomish County has already been publicly called out by the Department of Homeland Security for being one of the top five "non-cooperative jurisdictions" in the country.
Even if Snohomish County wanted to hand over illegal immigrants being detained, a district court ruling blocks them from doing so, according to Brian Sullivan, Snohomish County Council Chair.
"This shaming in the face of court rulings is almost a bully tactic and I think it`s unfortunate. because we want to work with our federal agencies and vice-versa," Sullivan said.
Seattle could be affected too.
During his State of the City address last month, Mayor Ed Murray announced he filed a public records request with several federal agencies, asking for clarity in what is considered a sanctuary city and the potential penalties for Seattle.
"where the president is slamming doors and building walls, Americans and Seattleites are spreading our arms and opening our hearts," Murray said.
Murray and City Attorney Pete Holmes issued the following statements in response to Sessions remarks today:
“Attorney General Jeff Session’s latest threat does not change our position,” said Mayor Murray. “As I’ve said, I’m willing to risk losing every penny of federal funding to stand by our commitment to protect everyone in our community.
"Attorney General Sessions’ threat to claw back federal funding only strengthens our resolve to fight back. We will keep all our Welcoming Cities policies in place. Attorney General Sessions accused Welcoming Cities like Seattle of harming their respective communities.
"However, we are helping those in our community by assisting residents on the path to citizenship and warmly integrating immigrant schoolchildren into our classrooms. But the federal government is intent on driving people underground.
"If Attorney General Sessions is so concerned about Seattle’s safety, pulling law enforcement dollars from cities nationwide is the height of hypocrisy and makes us less safe. Research shows cities with larger foreign-born populations experience less violent crime. Bigotry, not safety, seems to be at the heart of the White House immigration policy.”
City Attorney Pete Holmes added:
“Just like the original executive order targeting so-called ‘sanctuary cities,’ today’s press statements in D.C. provided little if any legal clarity to guide otherwise law abiding Welcoming Cities like Seattle.
"The Attorney General’s comments appear to be little more than cynical attempts to talk about anything other than Trumpcare or Russia following a bad week for the Trump administration.
"At the same time, Seattle should know that my office and the Mayor’s Office have been working ever since President Trump’s ‘sanctuary cities’ order was signed to explore all avenues to protect Seattle’s interests, and most of all its values.
"The City will not be bullied into abandoning its principles. Stay tuned.”