Sessions singles out Philadelphia
Attorney general says city should look at harm sanctuary does
PHILADELPHIA — Attorney General Jeff Sessions again singled out Philadelphia on Friday as an increasingly violent city made more dangerous by immigrants living in the country illegally.
In an address to federal prosecutors, Sessions pleaded with local law enforcement to “reconsider carefully the harm they are doing to their residents” through policies he said “are giving sanctuary not to law-abiding citizens in our communities, but to criminals.”
“If we’re going to stop the rise of violent crime, let’s work together,” Sessions said.
Sessions spoke to federal prosecutors and local law enforcement officials for about 20 minutes, addressing violent crime, immigration and the opioid crisis.
In a letter sent to the Justice Department last month, Philadelphia officials said the city is adhering to the law, even while refusing to collect information on residents’ immigration status.
According to the city’s policy on the issue, the prison system “only responds to detainer requests to turn over a detainee to Immigration and Customs Enforcement if the agency has a judicial, criminal warrant.”
Philadelphia is among several cities nationwide that have vowed to maintain their “sanctuary city” status. Police Commissioner Richard Ross — who was present for Sessions’ remarks and met briefly with the attorney general before his address — said he does not think local law enforcement “belongs in the immigration business.”
“As it relates to violent crime, our problems are not people from other countries,” Ross said. “Our problem is the young men here who are hopeless about a lot of things.”
Ross referred to Philadelphia instead as a “welcoming city” and said Sessions’ approach could have a chilling effect on efforts to encourage immigrants to report crimes.