WASHINGTON — Last month, the Department of Justice issued letters to 29 jurisdictions threatening to withhold federal law enforcement grant money over these localities’ supposed non-compliance with a federal law that prohibits policies that restrict the sharing of “information regarding...citizenship or immigration status.” The letter established an arbitrary deadline of December 8 for these localities to demonstrate their compliance with the law.

Lorella Praeli, director of immigration policy and campaigns at the American Civil Liberties Union, issued the following statement:

“States and communities that prioritize civil rights and safe and smart immigration policies must reject this latest attempt by the Trump administration and Attorney General Jeff Sessions to accomplish through threats and coercion what they cannot do through the courts.

“Pro-immigrant policies protect all people, including non-citizens, while maintaining the rule of law and upholding the Constitution. While the Trump administration claims that their continued threats against these jurisdictions are driven by public safety concerns, we know that’s just an excuse. In fact, these pro-immigrant jurisdictions have lower rates of crime than jurisdictions that actively assist federal immigration agents. Instead, the administration is motivated by its cruel agenda to detain and deport as many immigrants as possible, while trampling on Americans’ civil rights and the Constitution in the process.

“But the law is clear: as courts in California, Chicago, and Philadelphia have recognized, President Trump and Attorney General Sessions cannot force state and local governments to abandon their ongoing responsibilities to serve the deportation agenda of this administration.”

A blog detailing President Trump and Attorney General Sessions’ efforts to institute anti-immigrant policies can be found here:

https://www.aclu.org/blog/immigrants-rights/trump-and-sessions-keep-trying-institute-anti-immigrant-policies