As the debate over sanctuary cities rages on, a handful of mayors is scheduled to meet with Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.
The closed-door meeting comes on the heels of Attorney General Jeff Sessions taking direct aim at sanctuary jurisdictions earlier in the week.
The former Senator on Monday threatened to pull funding for any state and local governments refusing to comply with federal immigration laws. Sessions also noted that the Justice Department is set to dole out $4.1 billion in grants this year — and he said he will take steps to “claw back” that money.
In response, mayors from the U.S. Conference of Mayors — including leaders of cities deemed sanctuary — will join a handful of police chiefs in discussing the issues surrounding such jurisdictions and the federal government’s recent actions.
Sessions’ comments follow a Jan. 25 executive order in which the Trump administration threatened local governments failing to comply with federal authorities and immigration law. Any local law enforcement agency that refuses to hand over illegal immigrants for deportation are deemed “sanctuary,” and there are roughly 300 nationwide — however, there is still no official definition as used by the federal government.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti will be joined by Police Chief Charlie Beck at the meeting. Los Angeles is a sanctuary city, and Garcetti is adamant to keep it that way.
In response to Sessions, the mayor said pulling funds would be unconstitutional and threaten policies “designed to keep our residents safe.”
“Slashing funds for first-responders, for our port and airport, for counterterrorism, crime-fighting and community-building serves no one — not this city, not the federal government, not the American people,” Garcetti said at a news conference. “We will fight to protect the safety and dignity of all Angelenos, and we will work closely with our representatives in Congress to make sure that Los Angeles does not go without federal resources that help protect millions of people every day.”
Austin Mayor Steve Adler will also be at the meeting — a city that has been forefront of the sanctuary debate in the Lonestar State ever since Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez announced earlier this year that her department would limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott then cut off state funding to her office, and state lawmakers have since moved to pass legislation that would do the same to other local governments. Having already passed the Senate, the anti-sanctuary cities bill is now awaiting passage in the House.
Adler has asserted that his city is not sanctuary and thus should not be punished — also calling Austin one of the safest cities in the county.
“When I look at the federal order, the federal order talks about potentially limiting or denying funding in the jurisdictions that violate the federal law,” Adler said. “And nothing that Travis County is doing at this point — or the city — violates federal law.”
The head of Seattle’s police department will also be in attendance — it is considered a sanctuary jurisdiction — as well as Major Chiefs Association President Police Chief Tom Manger (Montgomery County, Md.) and Police Executive Research Forum President Police Chief Scott Thompson (Camden County, N.J.).
