Top House Democrats including Reps. Jerry Nadler (center) and Elijah Cummings wrote a letter seeking documents dating back to November 2018, when the White House was first considering the plan. | J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo Congress Dems launch probe into Trump’s sanctuary cities push Key House chairmen are demanding emails and other documents from the White House about the proposal to relocate undocumented immigrants.

Top House Democrats are launching an investigation into President Donald Trump’s contentious proposal to release undocumented immigrants detained at the border into so-called sanctuary cities.

The leaders of the Judiciary, Oversight and Homeland Security committees wrote to senior White House officials on Monday seeking emails and other documents related to the plan, which they called a “bizarre and unlawful attempt to score political points.”


“Not only does the Administration lack the legal authority to transfer detainees in this manner, it is shocking that the President and senior Administration officials are even considering manipulating release decisions for purely political reasons,” the three chairmen, Reps. Jerrold Nadler of New York, Elijah Cummings of Maryland and Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, wrote in the letter.

Trump on Monday appeared to reaffirm support for the idea, after numerous White House and Homeland Security officials had initially denied it was under consideration.

“Those Illegal Immigrants who can no longer be legally held (Congress must fix the laws and loopholes) will be, subject to Homeland Security, given to Sanctuary Cities and States!” Trump tweeted.

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White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders also said Sunday that the administration is considering a proposal to allow officials to transfer undocumented immigrants into cities that have limited their cooperation with federal immigration agencies.

Those sanctuary cities — such as San Francisco, New York and Boston — tend to be concentrated in Democratic congressional districts.

Sanders said Sunday that the idea would “spread out” the “burden” of undocumented immigrants across the U.S.

House Democrats are seeking documents dating back to November 2018, when the White House was first considering the plan that was reportedly rejected by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.