WASHINGTON, March 27 (Reuters) - U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said on Monday that cities and states that protect immigrant felons from federal immigration laws may see cuts in grants from the Justice Department.

"Failure to deport aliens who are convicted of criminal offenses puts whole communities at risk, especially immigrant communities in the very sanctuary jurisdictions that seek to protect the perpetrators," Sessions told a White House news briefing.

He said the department would withhold, and potentially claw back, grants to so-called sanctuary cities and other localities that are not in compliance with federal immigration law. Sessions said one Justice Department office was expecting to award more than $4.1 billion in grants this fiscal year. (Reporting by Ayesha Rascoe; Writing by Eric Walsh; Editing by Tim Ahmann)

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