The acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement denounced “sanctuary city” policies Thursday at the White House, saying that local authorities deciding not to cooperate with federal officials threatens public safety.
“It’s past time to put aside the political rhetoric and listen to the facts.” said Matthew Albence during a rare briefing in the White House press briefing room. “Every community is safer when law enforcement works together.”
Albence offered several case examples. He said Mecklenberg County, North Carolina, recently ignored a detainer and released an illegal immigrant, who went on to commit a second drunk driving offense as well as an alleged assault against a woman. He said the man was released again when a second detainer was ignored.
Albence expressed anger at recent criticism of the agency’s detention facilities, saying, “We don’t run concentration camps.”
The acting director spoke as President Trump prepared to return to Washington from New York, and as the White House is embroiled in controversy over a July call in which Trump pressured Ukraine’s president to investigate Joe Biden and his son Hunter.
Albence defended the timing of the briefing, saying it was planned “several weeks ago” and that ICE wanted to hold the event to mark the end of an operation that resulted this week in the arrest of about 1,300 illegal immigrants, many in sanctuary jurisdictions.
