The head of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for the first time Thursday revealed five major cities that are refusing to “detain” illegal immigrants charged with crimes and sought by federal police for deportation.
Sarah Saldana, the director of ICE, named Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and Seattle as cities that “do not honor detainers,” though some notify ICE when they release a criminal illegal immigrant, forcing ICE to figure out where they’ve gone.
She also said that 25 so-called “sancutary cities” are responsible for refusing 86 percent of ICE’s demands they detain jailed illegals for police to get and likely eventually deport. Saldana said that the agency has been pressing for cooperation, and now 17 of those 25 are working with ICE.
The Center for Immigration Studies has put the total list of sancutary cities at over 300.
ICE Dir Saldana says that about 30% of ICE detainers are not being honored by local LEAs.
— Jessica Vaughan (@JessicaV_CIS) March 17, 2016
The refusal of those cities to respond to ICE, and federal law, comes despite a new Justice Department warning that they won’t receive any federal law enforcement grant money if they persist.
At an ICE funding hearing Thursday, a key lawmaker said that he will make sure that those five cities and others refusing to cooperate with ICE police are denied federal money.
“They can keep their policy just don’t ask for federal money,” said Texas Republican Rep. John Culberson, who chairs the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science.
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected]
