Sessions Takes Action Against Sanctuary Cities

Sessions noted that in order to get the federal assistance, cities must prove they no longer are sanctuary cities for violent criminal illegal aliens. The Public Safety Partnership program (PSP) was launched in June by the Department of Justice (DOJ). Its goal is to have federal crime prevention experts work in partnership with local law enforcement to reduce violent crime in local communities. So far only 12 cities have met the requirements for the program.

By protecting criminals from immigration enforcement, cities and states with so-called ‘sanctuary’ policies make all of us less safe,” Sessions said in the statement. “We saw that just last week, when an illegal alien who had been deported twenty times and was wanted by immigration authorities allegedly sexually assaulted an elderly woman in Portland, a city that refuses to cooperate with immigration enforcement.”

The Portland, Oregon incident is just one of many that have outraged Americans at the utter stupidity of the sanctuary city movement.

By tolerating the presence of known illegal criminals in the community, sanctuary cities put local residents at risk and endanger local law enforcement as well.

By forcing police to go into more dangerous situations to re-arrest the same criminals, these policies endanger law enforcement officers more than anyone,” Sessions continued. “The Department of Justice is committed to supporting our law enforcement at every level, and that’s why we’re asking ‘sanctuary’ jurisdictions to stop making their jobs harder.”

Twelve cities with high violent crime rates were selected to become the first cities to participate in the program. They were able to meet the strict requirements to prove they are not sanctuary cities that harbor criminal illegal aliens. They are:

Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Birmingham, Alabama; Buffalo, New York; Cincinnati; Houston; Indianapolis; Jackson, Tennessee; Kansas City, Missouri; Lansing, Michigan; Memphis, Tennessee; Springfield, Illinois; and Toledo, Ohio.

The Public Safety Partnership program has three major requirements that cities must certify will be met in terms of working with ICE agents. These cities must have statutes, regulations or policies that facilitate the following:

• Department of Homeland Security (DHS) personnel will have access to a correctional or detention facility to meet with aliens or those suspected of being alien in order to determine their right to be in the United States;
• Correctional and detention facilities must provide at least 48 hours advance notice, if possible, to DHS regarding a scheduled release date and time for an alien held in custody whenever DHS requests such advance notice;
• Correctional and detention facilities must honor a written request from DHS to hold a foreign national up to 48 hours beyond the scheduled release date in order to permit DHS to take custody of the individual.

In addition to the 12 cities already vetted for the program, DOJ has sent a letter to four more asking them to comply with the specific program requirements. Those cities are: Albuquerque; Baltimore; San Bernardino, California; and Stockton, California.

Sessions encouraged all cities to get on board with the program in order to build safer communities and remove violent criminals, including aliens, from the streets.

By taking simple, common-sense considerations into account, we are encouraging every jurisdiction in this country to cooperate with federal law enforcement. That’s what 80 percent of the American people want them to do, and that will ultimately make all of us safer—especially law enforcement on our streets.”

The Sessions initiative is an outgrowth of President Donald Trump’s three executive orders signed on February 9 to crack down on violent crime and drug trafficking while promoting public safety and protection for law enforcement officers.

Source: Breitbart