‘WE DON’T GET TO PICK AND CHOOSE’
Sheriff backs AG on sanctuary city crackdown
Trump administration officials are demanding some sanctuary cities show proof they’re obeying the law or face losing federal grant money in a crackdown a local sheriff said should be a warning to Massachusetts communities harboring illegal immigrants.
“The attorney general and president believe in consistent and fair application of the law. Any state that decides to thumb its nose at federal law and defy the president’s efforts to keep the community safe, they’ll face the same consequences,” said Bristol County Sheriff Thomas M. Hodgson. “And they should, we don’t get to pick and choose about that.”
Yesterday the Department of Justice sent letters to officials in California and eight major cities — including New York, New Orleans and Chicago — saying they must document that they’re sharing information with federal immigration officials.
The cities were initially identified in a May 2016 report by the Justice Department’s inspector general that found local policies or rules could interfere with providing information to immigration agents, in violation of federal law.
Following the report, the Obama administration warned cities that they could miss out on grant money if they did not comply with the law, but it never actually withheld funds.
While the report lists concerns with cities’ local laws regarding sharing information with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, it maintains that ICE detainer requests are voluntary and not required to be upheld by cities.
Boston and sanctuary cities in the state such as Somerville and Cambridge have said they will not honor detainer requests without a warrant, but that did not put them in the report’s crosshairs, according to Sarang Sekhavat, federal policy director for the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition.
A spokeswoman for Mayor Martin J. Walsh said Boston would continue to support immigrants, but did not violate federal law.
“We are a city that values and respects immigrants and the mayor will continue to stand strong with our immigrant community,” said spokeswoman Nicole Caravella. “The city of Boston does not have any policies that run contrary to federal immigration laws.”
Sekhavat said because Massachusetts cities are sharing required information with immigration officials he did not expect them to see similar letters. But that didn’t mean officials weren’t paying attention, he said.
“Cities will definitely be keeping an eye on this,” Sekhavat said, adding he thought the letters were “bullying.”
But Hodgson said officials should be eager to share any information about illegal immigrants with federal authorities.
“President Trump understands this, we need local and state law enforcement to partner with us because they’re in the trenches every day, they have the information we need to target criminal illegal aliens,” Hodgson said. “Why would any elected official say, ‘We won’t allow you to share that with federal authorities?’ ”