House Republicans Step Up Pressure on Sanctuary Cities Legislation would turn up heat on communities to cooperate with immigration-enforcement policies By Laura Meckler and Natalie Andrews
https://www.wsj.com/articles/house-republicans-step-up-pressure-on-sanctuary-cities-1498730405?mod=cx_politics&cx_navSource=cx_politics&cx_tag=contextual&cx_artPos=7#cxrecs_s
WASHINGTON—Cities and counties that don’t help federal immigration authorities could lose millions of dollars in federal grants under legislation that passed the House on Thursday, as Republicans ramp up their battle against so-called sanctuary cities.
The legislation represents the Republicans’ most aggressive effort yet to force local communities to cooperate with President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration-enforcement policies.
Mr. Trump and his administration regularly spotlight undocumented immigrants who commit crimes, and on Wednesday he met with their victims. After the bills passed Thursday, Mr. Trump said the “implementation of these policies will make our communities safer.”
The bill, along with a companion enforcement measure, represents a contrast with the comprehensive immigration legislation long pushed by Democrats and some Republicans. Those proposals typically combine enforcement measures with pro-immigrant provisions such as the legalization of people living in the U.S. illegally. But Mr. Trump and his allies in Congress have showed little interest in a bipartisan approach.
Both bills passed largely on party lines, and both are expected to face strong opposition in the Senate, where they would need Democratic support to pass.
The first bill, called the “No Sanctuary for Criminals Act,” primarily aims to persuade local jurisdictions to hold people in jail when asked to do so by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. Proponents in the Trump administration and elsewhere say releasing criminals who should be deported makes communities less safe, They add that asking a jail to hold someone for up to 48 hours is a reasonable request.
“By flagrantly disregarding the rule of law, sanctuary cities are putting lives at risk and we cannot tolerate that,” said House Speaker Paul Ryan (R., Wis.).
Many local communities don’t honor these ICE “detainer” requests today for a range of reasons. Some say cooperation would undermine trust in law enforcement in immigrant communities, making legal and illegal immigrants less likely to report crimes. Some cite court rulings that found local communities are liable if someone such as a U.S. citizen is wrongly held based on inaccurate information.
Under the legislation, jurisdictions would lose federal grants from the Justice and Homeland Security departments if they enact policies restricting assistance with the enforcement of federal immigration law. CONTINUE AT SITE
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