Following is a letter from DOJ to known sanctuary cities and the entire sanctuary states of California, Illinois, and Oregon, demanding proof of compliance with federal immigration law, i.e., notifying federal immigration authorities when they have an illegal immigrant in their custody so that he or she be turned over to federal authorities for deportation.

Department of Justice
Office of Public Affairs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Justice Department Demands Documents and Threatens to Subpoena 23 Jurisdictions As Part of 8 U.S.C. 1373 Compliance Review

The Department of Justice today sent the attached letters to 23 jurisdictions, demanding the production of documents that could show whether each jurisdiction is unlawfully restricting information sharing by its law enforcement officers with federal immigration authorities.

All 23 of these jurisdictions were previously contacted by the Justice Department, when the Department raised concerns about laws, policies, or practices that may violate 8 U.S.C. 1373, a federal statute that promotes information sharing related to immigration enforcement and with which compliance is a condition of FY2016 and FY2017 Byrne JAG awards.

The letters also state that recipient jurisdictions that fail to respond, fail to respond completely, or fail to respond in a timely manner will be subject to a Department of Justice subpoena.

“I continue to urge all jurisdictions under review to reconsider policies that place the safety of their communities and their residents at risk,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “Protecting criminal aliens from federal immigration authorities defies common sense and undermines the rule of law. We have seen too many examples of the threat to public safety represented by jurisdictions that actively thwart the federal government’s immigration enforcement—enough is enough.”

Failure to comply with section 1373 could result in the Justice Department seeking the return of FY2016 grants, requiring additional conditions for receipt of any FY2017 Byrne JAG funding, and/or jurisdictions being deemed ineligible to receive FY2017 Byrne JAG funding.

The following jurisdictions received the document request today:

  • Chicago, Illinois;
  • Cook County, Illinois;
  • New York City, New York;
  • State of California;
  • Albany, New York;
  • Berkeley, California;
  • Bernalillo County, New Mexico;
  • Burlington, Vermont;
  • City and County of Denver, Colorado;
  • Fremont, California;
  • Jackson, Mississippi;
  • King County, Washington;
  • Lawrence, Massachusetts;
  • City of Los Angeles, California;
  • Louisville Metro, Kentucky;
  • Monterey County, California;
  • Sacramento County, California;
  • City and County of San Francisco, California;
  • Sonoma County, California;
  • Watsonville, California;
  • West Palm Beach, Florida;
  • State of Illinois; and
  • State of Oregon.

Response to DOJ’s letter has been mostly insults from liberal weenies sanctuary city mayors, directed at DOJ and/or President Trump.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel said he will not be intimidated.

“The idea that the president of the United States, the Justice Department would arrest any one of us for believing in our ideals and is wrong,” he said.

“Picking fights for political reasons is a disservice to all Louisvillians, Kentuckians and Americans,” Louisville mayor Greg Fischer said.

New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and other mayors who had been invited to the White House on Wednesday to discuss infrastructure plans declined the invitation because of DOJ’s action.

https://twitter.com/Patreeit/status/956504409835532288

https://twitter.com/Patreeit/status/956519123844034560

“Unfortunately, the Trump administration’s decision to threaten mayors and demonize immigrants yet again – and use cities as political props in the process – has made this meeting untenable,” said Landrieu, the president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, in a press release.

California’s Attorney General Xavier Becerra told a barefaced lie in response to DOJ’s request…. “I will certainly tell you that the state of California complies with federal law,” said Becerra. “Everyone has to obey the law and in California we make it clear that you have to obey the law, so the state of California will.”

I propose a solution to the standoff. The federal government should embed an immigration officer in the police department of every sanctuary city to ascertain firsthand whether the jurisdiction is complying with federal law. The cost of these embedded immigration officers should come directly from the federal funding of the respective sanctuary jurisdictions. Problem solved!

Should DOJ get tough with sanctuary cities, cut funding and force compliance? in Thomas Madison’s Hangs on LockerDome