Washington’s war on immigrants hots up
THE US Department of Justice is working in tandem with the war that Donald Trump’s administration is waging on immigration by threatening to cut federal funding to so-called Sanctuary Cities.
On Friday, the Department of Justice sent a letter to authorities in Chicago, New York, New Orleans, California, Philadelphia, Las Vegas, Milwaukee and Miami, saying they need to prove by the end of June that they are adhering to federal laws on immigration, or face the risk of losing federal grants.
Under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program, sanctuary cities receive around $29 million (R380m) in funding that is distributed to local government to aid law enforcement – funding the department is threatening to take away.
The Department of Justice said Chicago and New York were both “crumbling under the weight of illegal immigration and violent crime”.
The spokesperson for New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio, however, noted that the city was experiencing record low crime rates.
Representatives from California also criticised the statement.
“It has become abundantly clear that Attorney-General Jeff Sessions and the Trump administration are basing their law enforcement policies on principles of white supremacy – not American values,” California Senator Kevin de León said on Friday.
In the face of funding cuts and a hostile immigration policy brought in by Donald Trump’s new administration, communities and leaders in Sanctuary Cities have vowed to remain steadfast in their opposition to federal threats.
They have also said they will continue to accommodate refugees.
Several sanctuary cities have adopted pro-migrant legislation and resolutions to calm widespread anxiety in immigrant communities amid increasing threats and deportations of immigrants.
Many municipalities and law enforcement in sanctuary areas have also refused to help enforce immigration law or share information with federal authorities and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Earlier in the week, Sessions said sanctuary cities were responsible for undermining efforts to fight violent gangs.
In March, he vowed to “claw back” funding to the immigrant-friendly cities, after Trump signed an executive order in January to strip federal funding from the so-called sanctuary cities.
Meanwhile, Trump nears the 100-day mark of his administration as the least popular chief executive in modern times, a president whose voters remain largely satisfied with his performance, but one whose base of support has not expanded since he took the oath of office, according to a latest poll. – Washington Post