Seven cities or counties have been given a final order by the Department of Justice stating the government believes these areas are not complying with current immigration law. The areas in question have been deemed sanctuary cities by Department of Justice and face repercussions for failure to comply with the DOJ’s request.
President Donald Trump has threatened to cut off federal funding from sanctuary cities. The last chance letter does not address consequences for these areas if they do not comply with the DOJ’s request.
“Jurisdictions that adopt so-called ‘sanctuary policies’ also adopt the view that the protection of criminal aliens is more important than the protection of law-abiding citizens and of the rule of law,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
The areas in question are as follows:
- Cook County, Illinois
- Chicago, Illinois
- New Orleans, Louisiana
- New York, New York
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
An article written by Fox News cites the issue being with cities and counties that have laws in place to restrict the cooperation of local law enforcement with federal immigration officials.
The letter states these areas have until October 27, 2017 to prove they are complying with immigration laws.
“I urge all jurisdictions found to be out of compliance in this preliminary review to reconsider their policies that undermine the safety of their residents,” Sessions stated.