The U.S. Conference of Mayors cancelled a visit to the White House on Wednesday hours before they planned to meet with President Trump, after the Justice Department sent a letter threatening to subpoena state and local officials if they refuse to release information about their “sanctuary” policies.
Letters from the agency were sent to New York City, San Francisco, and Chicago, cities that have repeatedly refused to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement efforts, and several others. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said such jurisdictions defy “common sense and undermine the rule of law.”
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio immediately criticized the administration, and said in a tweet that he no longer planned to attend the White House meeting since administration officials “decided to renew their racist assault on our immigrant communities.”
“It doesn’t make us safer, and it actually violates America’s core values,” de Blasio said.
New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, who chairs the Conference of Mayors, said at a press conference that he had also backed out of the event, claiming it had been scheduled under “false pretenses.”
Both men are Democrats and have roundly criticized the Trump administration’s immigration agenda. Neither of them indicated whether Republican members of the conference would also boycott the meeting.
Around three dozen mayors were slated to meet with Trump at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon, ahead of his departure for the World Economic Forum. In a statement earlier in the day, White House officials said the president would host a discussion on the economy, infrastructure, and the worsening opioid epidemic.
The White House did not return a request for comment.
