A panel of three appeals court judges on Tuesday upheld a previous ruling that the U.S. Department of Justice cannot compel the cities of Providence and Central Falls to comply with federal immigration authorities as a condition of receiving federal public safety grants.
Freshman Rep. Lance Gooden (R-Texas) introduced legislation this week aimed at ending sanctuary cities that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement efforts. Earlier this week, Immigration and Customs Enforcement accused officials in Prince Georges County in Maryland for releasing two illegal aliens suspected of murder after ICE had issued a detainer request.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions submitted his resignation on Wednesday at Pres. Trump's request. AG Sessions did the most of anyone in the Trump Administration to implement the immigration promises made by Pres. Trump as a candidate in 2016.
In a Tweet Monday, Pres. Trump called for an end to the visa lottery and chain migration. He also called for immigration measures that would increase border security, tighten asylum policy, and end sanctuary cities.
The Oregon Secretary of State's office announced that Initiative Petition 22 (IP 22), an anti-sanctuary initiative, will be on the November ballot, after garnering 111,000 signatures -- 22,816 more than the needed 88,184 signatures to secure a place on the ballot. The petition was championed by Stop Oregon Sanctuaries, a group opposed to the state's sanctuary law, and registered a 95.3% validity rate on the 111,000 signatures that were submitted two weeks ago.
According to a recent report released by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Boston Field office for the for the staff of the Massachusetts governor, ICE was only able to arrest about half of the 456 deportable criminal aliens that had been arrested in the state over the course of 10 weeks, due to court-imposed sanctuary policies. Massachusetts local authorities' refused to cooperate with ICE, either by not honoring detainers issued by the agency or releasing criminal aliens before ICE was able to issue a detainer.
DHS Sec. Kirstjen Nielsen granted $1.7 Billion of federal funding to sanctuary cities, despite the Trump Administration’s public objection to funding jurisdictions that do not fully cooperate with immigration law enforcement.
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals denied the Trump Administration’s challenge to a nationwide injunction that prohibits linking federal grant funding to ICE jail access and illegal alien release alerts. The Administration pledged to appeal the decision, arguing it has the power to attach strings to federal grants and claiming a nationwide injunction is too broad.
Gov. Kim Reynolds signed into law a bill that requires police to comply with immigration detainers for illegal aliens in their custody and cracks down on other sanctuary policies. Supporters said the bill will uphold the Rule of Law and help ensure "the safety of all people, citizens and immigrants alike." But detractors like the American Civil Liberties Union promised to sue over the measure's constitutionality.
California's sanctuary law could be repealed if a group founded by “Angel Parents” is successful. The group, Fight Sanctuary State, introduced a ballot initiative to overturn the California Values Act, which limits cooperation between state and local authorities and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement bureau. The initiative would require local police to cooperate with ICE and impose criminal penalties on local government officials who obstruct immigration enforcement.
Pres. Trump urged Congressional Leadership to block funds from going to jurisdictions operating under sanctuary policies, specifically calling out city officials in California, New York, Denver, and Colorado, for their repeated refusal to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The Justice Dept. filed a lawsuit against the state of California yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Eastern California, requesting that the court issue a state-wide preliminary injunction to block enforcement of sanctuary policies the state passed last year, allegedly obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration law. The sanctuary policies include HB 450, SB 54, and AB 103.
About 800 criminal illegal aliens avoided arrest after Oakland, Calif. Mayor Libby Schaaf gave Bay Area residents a 24-hour notice of pending ICE raids, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Thomas Homan.
A recent study conducted by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) on MS-13 criminal arrests shows a surge of the gang's activity specifically in areas subject to sanctuary policies and large numbers of resettled UACs. According to the report, 506 MS-13 members were charged with or arrested for crimes, including 207 arrests for murder in 22 states, with 92 cases in California, 84 in Maryland, 80 in New York, and 63 in Virginia -- all states that have resettled a large number of UACs.
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster and state Republican lawmakers said that they are pushing to require cities and counties to prove they are working with federal immigration authorities in order to receive state funds. If any jurisdiction in the state passes or practices sanctuary city policies they could lose their state funding for three years.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions testified yesterday before the Senate Judiciary Committee on several topics including immigration. Sessions defended the DOJ’s ability to limit federal grants to sanctuary cities and said that DACA recipients should not be given amnesty in exchange for just border security.
Acting ICE Director Thomas Homan said during a speech at the Heritage Foundation that the agency will increase worksite immigration enforcement in the coming months. He said this is an effort to reduce illegal immigration by eliminating the jobs magnet.
Today the Dept. of Justice sent a final letter to eight identified sanctuary jurisdictions who were identified in May 2016 by the DOJ’s Inspector General. Four of the jurisdictions have been cleared while the other four continue to potentially violate federal immigration laws.
Gov. Jerry Brown signed SB54 into law on Thursday, which places limitations on California’s state and local law enforcement from enforcing federal immigration laws and cooperating with ICE. The sanctuary state bill will take effect starting Jan. 1, 2018.
A three-judge panel of Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that parts of the Texas anti-sanctuary law can take effect while the merits of the case are heard in U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia’s court. Among other things, the panel narrowed Garcia’s hold on a provision requiring law enforcement officials to honor U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer requests. This is the highest court to date to rule on a state’s attempt to crack down on local sanctuary policies.
The House approved several good immigration amendments to the minibus spending bill that would fund the Department of Homeland Security and several other agencies for FY 18. The immigration amendments to H.R. 3354, the Make America Secure and Prosperous Appropriations Act, covered both E-Verify and sanctuary cities.
U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia placed a preliminary injunction on a Texas law that requires jail officials to honor all requests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to hold illegal aliens for pickup and deportation. He also enjoined another measure that prohibits “a pattern or practice that 'materially limits' the enforcement of immigration laws.” The provisions, which were to go into effect September 1st, are part of the anti-sanctuary legislation (SB 4) Gov. Greg Abbott signed earlier this year.
Bucking a federal effort to crack down on illegal-alien sanctuary policies, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) this week signed SB 31, a bill that makes it more difficult for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to pick up criminal aliens for deportation. Commenting on the new law, a Justice Department official told Fox News, "(W)hen cities and states refuse to help enforce immigration laws, our nation is less safe…Failure to deport aliens who are convicted for criminal offenses puts whole communities at risk — especially immigrant communities in the very sanctuary jurisdictions that seek to protect the perpetrators."
The Denver City Council and Mayor Michael Hancock have proposed a new ordinance which would further limit cooperation between Denver local law enforcement and ICE. The sanctuary city currently does not honor ICE detainer requests and this new policy would limit ICE’s ability to work within Denver’s local jails to interview and apprehend criminal illegal aliens.
Ken Blackwell, the former Treasurer and Secretary of the State of Ohio, is a strong advocate for the rights of states and limitations of federal power. But in a Huffington Post column, he explains why the federal government has full rights to withhold money from states and localities that act as "sanctuary" jurisdictions to undermine federal immigration enforcement.
The Justice Department has cleared two counties that were suspected of having sanctuary city polices so they can receive federal funding. The two counties, Clark County in Nevada and Miami-Dade County in Florida, were among the 10 jurisdictions that were asked to explain their polices after the Obama administration flagged them for potentially violating federal immigration laws.
Today ICE said they are contemplating charging sanctuary city leaders with violating federal anti-smuggling laws for protecting illegal aliens and refusing to cooperate with federal immigration laws.
The Department of Justice announced that any jurisdiction who refuses to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement efforts will no longer be eligible to receive money from the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Programs (“Byrne JAG”). Congress can allocate up to $1.095 billion a year on the Byrne JAG program making it one of the DOJ’s largest federal grant programs for state and local jurisdictions.
Three state legislators are leading the effort to repeal Oregon’s sanctuary law that prohibits local and state police from enforcing federal immigration laws. The legislators have started an initiative petition in order to gain enough voter signatures to force a referendum vote in the 2018 general election.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement will dedicate more agents and resources to arrest illegal criminal aliens in sanctuary jurisdictions the agency's acting director Thomas Homan said. ICE has received approval to hire 10,000 new agents and most will be sent to the 300 sanctuary jurisdictions who refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement efforts.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the Department of Justice began reviewing compliance letters this week sent to the agency by 10 jurisdictions across the country that were put on notice by AG Sessions in May. The states and localities risk losing certain federal grants because of their sanctuary policies that shield illegal aliens from federal law enforcement.
The House of Representatives recently passed H.R. 3003, the No Sanctuary for Criminals Act. This legislation clarifies the definition of a sanctuary jurisdiction, imposes penalties on jurisdictions that fail to cooperate with federal enforcement efforts, and provides immunity for local police who assist with the enforcement of federal immigration laws by honoring ICE detainers.
After its passage, President Trump urged the Senate to vote on the bill and send it to his desk to become law.
The Dept. of Justice has filed a “Statement of Interest” supporting Texas’ new law that bans sanctuary city policies throughout the state. The State of Texas is currently being sued by several Texas cities and others who oppose the SB4 law.
Yesterday, DHS Secretary John Kelly testified before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on the department’s FY18 budget and addressed concerns over increasing foreign worker visas, sanctuary cities, and Temporary Protected Status (TPS). In his remarks, Secretary Kelly made it clear that the Trump Administration would put American workers first and that DHS will enforce federal immigration laws.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a memo clarifying the type of grants jurisdictions could lose if they fail to comply with the president’s Jan. 25 executive order and federal anti-sanctuary law. Only jurisdictions that "willfully refuse to comply with 8 U.S.C. 1373" will be considered sanctuary jurisdictions. The at-risk grants are those administered by the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security.
House Judiciary Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee Vice-Chairman Raúl Labrador (R-Idaho) introduced the Michael Davis, Jr. and Danny Oliver in Honor of State and Local Law Enforcement Act (H.R. 2431) yesterday that would strengthen interior enforcement. The bill would protect and encourage jurisdictions to cooperate with ICE detainer requests and would target sanctuary jurisdictions by withholding federal grants. The House Judiciary Committee has scheduled a markup of the bill on Thursday.
Immigration is a regulated process, the parameters and management of which reflect a nation's priorities and values. But to many people, immigration has become a value in and of itself, like love or justice. For them, anything less than "more" is mean.
During a Facebook Live event on Sunday night Gov. Greg Abbott (R-Texas) signed a bill banning sanctuary jurisdictions in the state of Texas. Texas is the first state to ban sanctuary cities.
Northern District of California Judge William Orrick enjoined the Trump Administration from withholding most federal funds from sanctuary cities that restrict cooperation with ICE. The judge sided with the plaintiffs' argument that billions in federal grants were at stake despite the Administration's statement that sanctions were limited in scope. The ruling may be appealed to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
During a MSNBC interview on Tuesday former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg criticized sanctuary cities for not enforcing federal immigration laws. Bloomberg said that instead of ignoring federal laws these cities should work with legislatures to change immigration laws.
The Department of Justice warned nine jurisdictions that they could lose federal grant funds unless they demonstrate compliance with federal anti-sanctuary law. The nine jurisdictions are Chicago, Cook County Ill. (encompasses Chicago) New Orleans, Philadelphia, Las Vegas, Miami, Milwaukee, New York City and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
U.S. District Court Judge William Orrick will hold a hearing today on requests by San Francisco and Santa Clara County for an injunction preventing the Administration from sanctioning sanctuary cities. The local governments are seeking standing to sue even though the Administration has not suspended federal funds for their or other jurisdictions.
Legislation that would have made Maryland a “sanctuary state” and a bill that would have lowered tuition rates for Tennessee illegal aliens failed in their respective state legislatures. The bills were seen as challenges to President Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration.
Sanctuary Jurisdictions declined 47 detainer requests last week that had been issued by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. These jurisdictions rejected detainer requests for illegal aliens who had been charged or convicted with crimes, including domestic violence, sexual assault, and assault.
Rasmussen Reports released a poll on Friday showing that a plurality of likely U.S. voters believe that sanctuary city polices make their communities less safe. Only 17% said that they believe that these policies make their communities more safe.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced during yesterday's White House press briefing that the administration will begin withholding federal funding from jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration laws. Pres. Trump’s Jan. 25 executive order instructed DHS to identify sanctuary jurisdictions and federal funding that could be cut off to these jurisdictions.
More than 200 ICE detainer requests were declined during the week of Jan. 28 – Feb. 3, according to the first Weekly Declined Detainer Outcome Report from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This weekly report was mandated by Pres. Trump in his Jan. 25 interior enforcement executive order.
LifeZette -- Brendan Kirby
Chris Chmielenski, director of content and activism at NumbersUSA, said sanctuary policies are consistently unpopular in public polling.
“If these hometown newspapers are going to start covering these list … that’s certainly going to pressure these sanctuary city politicians,” he said.
Chmielenski noted the Trump administration also has threatened to cut off federal funding to sanctuary jurisdictions.
A new study by The Center for American Progress has identified five major programs and grants totaling around $870 million that the federal government can withhold from jurisdictions who refuse to work with ICE. Pres. Trump’s Jan. 25 executive order instructed DHS to identify sanctuary jurisdictions and federal funding that could be cut off to these jurisdictions.
A Florida state judge last week ruled that President Trump’s sanctuary city executive order unconstitutionally coerced a county, which had been holding an alien for pickup and deportation by ICE. Eleventh Judicial Circuit Judge Milton Hirsch granted the alien’s claim and ordered his release even though there is no precedent for individuals making such claims based on the 10th Amendment.
