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Municipalities React To AG Sessions’ Latest Sanctuary City Threats

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Government officials are reacting to the latest federal threats to "claw back" funding earmarked for sanctuary cities.

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan are among those keeping tabs on President Donald Trump's order to cut off federal funds to sanctuary cities, loosely defined as municipalities that do not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.

Schneiderman has emerged as an opposition force to the federal Justice Department headed by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, issuing and updating legal guidance for sanctuary cities within the state, weighing in on how New York municipalities may continue sanctuary city practices while not running afoul of new federal policy.

Monday, Sessions put states and local jurisdictions on notice: they're expected to comply with federal law.  "Failure to remedy violations could result in withholding grants, termination of grants and disbarment or ineligibility for future grants. The Department of Justice will also take all lawful steps to claw back any funds awarded to a jurisdiction that willfully violates 1373. In the current fiscal year, Department of Justices' office of justice programs and community oriented policing services anticipates awarding more than $4.1 billion in grants. I strongly urge our nation's states and cities and counties to consider carefully the harm they are doing to their citizens by refusing to enforce our immigration laws and to rethink these policies."

Schneiderman responded in a statement, saying, quote, "Despite what Attorney General Sessions implied ... state and local governments and law enforcement have broad authority under the Constitution to not participate in federal immigration enforcement."

Credit WAMC photo by Dave Lucas
Addressing a crowd at a December 2016 rally, Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan said that in 2008 the city passed a resolution welcoming immigrants.

Mayor Sheehan is concerned that the administration is portraying sanctuary cities as being dangerous and unsafe. "If you look at cities across the country, they're safer because we have developed a level of trust within our community that if somebody calls the police for help, that we're going to come and we're going to assist them, and that we're not going to serve as pseudo-immigration offices. The federal government is responsible for enforcing immigration laws and that is their role, and that is not the role of local government. And if the Trump administration wants to make it the role of local government, then it's yet another unfunded mandate."

The Washington Times reports that nearly 500 jurisdictions across the county consider themselves sanctuary cities — among them Syracuse, Rochester and New York City.  Hudson joined their ranks last week, its common council passing legislation making the designation official. According to the Journal News, last year the state received $218 million through the Office of Justice programs.

Speaking for Albany, Sheehan says its not clear exactly what funds Washington would pull. "This is an administration that has released a skinny budget that people are talking about that already removed most of the funds that cities like Albany really rely on, and that our communities, particularly our underserved communities, rely on. So we're gonna be fighting to keep that funding in whether we're a sanctuary city or not.  And it really, I think, does a disservice to our immigrant community, many of whom are here perfectly legally but live in fear because of the target that they've become, and it's very concerning. We don't want people living in our community in fear, and that is why, again, it’s really important to recognize that there's a federal role to be played here and then there's local law enforcement. And we want to make sure our local law enforcement officers are here and are representing and are seen as a resource to everybody in our city. It helps to keep us safer."

Scheniderman has vowed that his office will continue to ensure local governments have the tools they need to legally protect their immigrant communities.

Monday night, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio sent a tweet saying "The Trump Administration is pushing an unrealistic and mean spirited executive order. If they want a fight, we’ll see them in court."

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.
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