Cook County, Ill., has implemented a local policy of releasing illegal immigrants, even ignoring enforcement actions undertaken by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials, prompting the House Judiciary chair to ask Attorney General Eric Holder if the Justice Department plans to sue the county as it has sued states that have actively enforced federal illegal immigration laws.
“[Cook County’s] shortsighted legislation directs the Cook Country Sheriff to ignore detainers for removable immigrants issued by ICE unless the federal government has agreed in writing to cover all related costs,” Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, wrote in a letter to Holder, noting also that the “sanctuary policy for criminal illegal immigrants has led to numerous risks to public safety.”
Smith added that “Cook County has ignored 268 detainers on aliens ‘charged with, or convicted of a crme, including serious and violent offenses like assault on a law enforcement officer,'” he said, quoting ICE director John Morton. “Do you plan to bring action against Cook Country for intentionally circumventing the [federal] law?” Smith askd Holder. “Particularly when the Justice Department has proactively filed suit against localities that enact legislation that simply assists in the enforcement of federal laws, it is inexcusable that the Department has not considered filing suit against localities that blatantly defy our federal immigration laws.”
