‘Immigrant friendly’ US cities face cuts Washington accused of ‘white supremacy’
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 which the department is threatening to take away.
The Department of Justice said that 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 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 immi-gration law or share information with federal authorities and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.
Earlier in the week, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said sanctuary cities are 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.