Upon justice department’s question, sanctuary cities said that they are complying with the law but do not espouse spike in the immigration enforcement.
The Department of Justice on Thursday unequivocally asked sanctuary cities to affirm if they are following the law by sharing the immigration status of people in their custody. The department said that some of the jurisdictions under investigation hint that in practice these cities are not cooperating with the federal immigration authorities in deporting illegal immigrants. It added that should the cities decide not to comply with the federal laws, they might lose the federal grants as a consequence, the Associated Press reported.
“They are having it both ways now,” said Leon Fresco, who led the justice department’s office of immigration ligation during the Obama administration.
“The cities are saying, we will not in any way do anything that affirmatively increases the amount of immigration enforcement that is occurring in our city. Having said that, if a federal official asks us for information, we will provide this information.”
Reportedly, the cities that were questioned include New York, Chicago, new Orleans and Philadelphia. In addition two states, California and Connecticut, and four counties namely, Miami-Dade County in Florida, Cook County in Illinois, Milwaukee County in Wisconsin and Clark County in Nevada.
The response that confirmed their compliance did present their understanding and stand too. For instance, the Cook County, Illinois, added, “The United States Constitution, however, limits the authority of the federal government to impose its immigration obligations onto state and local governments.” Similarly, Chicago’s city spokeswoman Jennifer Martinez pointed out, “But make no mistake, Chicago will continue to be a welcoming city and stand up for the values that have made us a beacon of hope for immigrants and refugees from around the world for generations.”