Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced during yesterday's White House press briefing that the administration will begin withholding federal funding from jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration laws. Pres. Trump’s Jan. 25 executive order instructed DHS to identify sanctuary jurisdictions and federal funding that could be cut off to these jurisdictions.
“Such policies cannot continue. They make our nation less safe by putting dangerous criminals back on the streets,” Sessions said during the press briefing.
Sessions explained that cities seeking Justice Department grants, equaling around $4.1 billion, would have to verify that they are not sanctuary jurisdictions and are cooperating with federal immigration authorities.
This announcement comes just a week after ICE released its first Weekly Declined Detainer Outcome Report that showed that more than 200 ICE detainers were denied during the week of Jan. 28 – Feb. 3. The report also listed the top 10 counties that declined the most number of detainers that week.
“It is the policy of the executive branch to ensure that states and cities comply with all federal laws, including all immigration laws. Today I am urging states and local jurisdictions to comply with these federal laws including, 8 U.S.C. 1373.” said Sessions.
Watch Attorney General Sessions’ entire speech at Foxnews.com.
