President Donald Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions reiterated their stance against sanctuary cities this week, calling them “lawless.”
“It’s time to support our police, to protect our families, and to save American lives,” Trump said in a statement on Aug. 16.
The administration has been trying to halt cities and jurisdictions from enacting sanctuary policies, which usually shield convicted criminals who are in the country illegally from federal immigration authorities.
In a blistering speech against sanctuary cities, Sessions singled out Chicago and blasted its leaders for not cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“Respect for the rule of law has broken down. In Chicago, the so-called ’sanctuary' policies are just one sad example,” Sessions said in a speech in Miami on Aug. 16. Miami-Dade County reversed its sanctuary policies in February, soon after Trump took office and issued an executive order stating his intention to clamp down on sanctuaries.
“Here’s how it works right now: After the police arrest an illegal alien and charge him with a crime, they fingerprint and book him into their jail,” Sessions said in his prepared remarks.
