Under urging from Rep. John Culberson's (R-Texas), the Department of Justice announced today that it will block certain federal grants for cities that interfere with federal immigration agents. The DOJ directive requires state and local law enforcement agencies to take an oath that their policies do not interfere “in any way” with requests for immigration information from federal authorities.
Rep. Culberson used his position as Chairman of the Commerce, Justice, and Science Subcommittee on Appropriations to make the request to shut off funding for jurisdictions with sanctuary policies.
In a February 2016 letter, Rep. Culberson urged Attorney General Loretta Lynch to take action against cities that protect criminal illegal aliens from deportation. The letter warned her that if she did not pull federal funding for sanctuary cities, he would remove her ability to move money around within the department.
The letter also set out specific actions for the Attorney General to take in order to encourage local authorities to cooperate with federal laws. Lynch has taken those actions, which will prevent any federal or local departments from enacting a formal policy against cooperating with ICE.
"Sanctuary cities are a hub for illegal aliens and criminal activity, and we've seen the tragic results of these policies time and time again. It has been more than a year since Kate Steinle was murdered at the hands of a criminal illegal alien who intentionally sought out shelter in San Francisco due to the city's sanctuary policies. This violence and suffering is intolerable and completely preventable," said Rep. Culberson in a press release.
Read the letter sent to Attorney General Lynch by Rep. Culberson.
