A COSTLY SANCTUARY
Bill threatens to pull federal dollars from Hub
Boston’s Trust Act policy would place the city in violation of an anti-sanctuary city bill moving through Washington and cost the city federal aid, one immigration expert said, but Mayor Martin J. Walsh said the city would weather the potential loss of several million dollars and blasted the U.S. House for passing the bill.
“Shame on them,” Walsh told the Herald, adding that Boston would “make up a shortfall” in funds but declining to elaborate. “I think the story shouldn’t be on what I did or what I’m going to do, the story should be on the inability of Congress to do their job and pass some good legislation.”
Last night, the House approved the No Sanctuary for Criminals Act, sending the bill to the Senate today. The act says cities and states cannot create policies that restrict cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, and bars them from receiving various Department of Justice and Homeland Security grants if they do so.
The act does not have a timeline for enforcement and it is unclear how existing grants might be affected — Boston is set to receive about $5 million in DOJ grants this fiscal year and at least $3.5 million in grants for the fiscal year that begins tomorrow. But an immigration expert said Boston would definitely feel the pinch.
“Boston’s policy would cause it to be disqualified for certain types of funding,” said Jessica Vaughan, director of policy at the Center of Immigration Studies. “Boston says it will only comply with (ICE) detainers in certain times — that’s illegal under this law.”
Boston could lose between $3 million and $4 million, Walsh said. Somerville Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone said his city could lose up to $400,000 in aid, but also said he wouldn’t change the city’s policy.
“We are always going to be a sanctuary city ... we won’t take these things sitting down,” Curtatone said. “Somerville is not going to be brought to its knees, and not by a bag of money being held over our head. I can tell you where they can stick their money.”
But that money goes to important programming, according to Jim Pasco, senior adviser to the president of the national Fraternal Order of Police. The act would prevent sanctuary cities from receiving funds from the Justice Assistance Grant Program, which is set to give $965,941 for trauma workers to target crime “hot spots” and $32,478 to help track homeless sex offenders.
“Grants flowing from the federal government ... to state and local police officers are the lifeblood of incredibly important law enforcement operations nationwide,” Pasco said, adding his group opposes the act because it takes resources away from officers. “When you dry up those funds to a city you curtail its ability to enhance the safety of citizens in those cities.
“If there was a way to penalize (politicians) without penalizing public safety, I’d be all for it,” Pasco added.