Story highlights DHS has maintained that courthouses are not considered "sensitive locations"

The letter was a response to California Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye's complaint

Washington (CNN) The Departments of Justice and Homeland Security said this week that immigration agents will continue to make arrests at courthouses -- and encouraged cities to revoke their sanctuary policies if they object.

The letter, released Friday but sent Wednesday, was a response to California Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, who wrote to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and DHS Secretary John Kelly saying that Immigrations and Customs Enforcement "appear to be stalking undocumented immigrants in our courthouses to make arrests."

The subject of ICE arrests at courthouses has been particularly sensitive in recent weeks between major cities and federal officials, as local jurisdictions have complained that arresting undocumented immigrants in courthouses has a chilling effect on their participation in prosecuting criminals as witnesses and reporting victims.

Los Angeles has said reporting of crimes like sexual assault and domestic violence are down by one-quarter in immigrant communities.

"Our courthouses serve as a vital forum for ensuring access to justice and protecting public safety," Cantil-Sakauye wrote in her letter earlier this month. "Courthouses should not be used as bait in the necessary enforcement of our country's immigration laws."

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