The U.S. Department of Justice is cracking down on cities seeking federal aid to reduce violent crime but that refuse to enforce immigration laws, according to a report in The Washington Times.
The Justice Department sent letters to Albuquerque, N.M., Baltimore, Md., and San Berardino and Stockton, Calif., telling leaders the cities won’t be eligible for a new federal program to address violent crime unless they give the Department of Homeland Security access to local jails and comply with federal immigration detainers to give agents time to take custody of illegal immigrants before they are released.
“The Department of Justice is committed to supporting our law enforcement at every level, and that’s why we’re asking ‘sanctuary’ jurisdictions to stop making their jobs harder,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in an announcement. “By taking simple, common-sense considerations into account, we are encouraging every jurisdiction in this country to cooperate with federal law enforcement.”
