Sessions Scolds Chicago for Suing Over 'Sanctuary Cities' Threat

[Eugene]

LBN thread: Chicago to sue Trump administration over sanctuary city funding threat

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Source: New York Times

Sessions Scolds Chicago for Suing Over ‘Sanctuary Cities’ Threat

By MITCH SMITH AUG. 7, 2017

CHICAGO — Mayor Rahm Emanuel sued the Justice Department on Monday over President Trump’s threat to cut off federal grants for so-called sanctuary cities like Chicago, calling it an attack against public safety and the city’s conscience.

Hours later, Attorney General Jeff Sessions struck back, describing street violence in Chicago as horrific and saying that “no amount of federal taxpayer dollars will help a city that refuses to help its own residents.”

The pointed exchange was an escalation in the struggle over federal funding and sanctuary cities, but also in a continuing back-and-forth between the White House and Chicago over the city’s endemic gun and gang violence.

“Chicago will not let our police officers become political pawns in a debate,” said Mr. Emanuel, a Democrat, whose city received $2.3 million in law enforcement grants last year from the program that is now at risk.

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Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/07/us/chicago-sues-justice-department-over-sanctuary-crackdown.html

[Rollo]

1. Never mind that the American city with the highest crime rate isn't Chicago...

It's Saint Louis, Missouri....



.

[lunasun]

4. Unlikely STL has undocumented as leading the crime rate either . Chicago Police Supt.

Though the Trump administration has attempted to link sanctuarycity status to the city’s crime problem, the Chicago Sun- Times has reported that illegal immigrants have played no role in the overwhelming majority of the murders that have put the city in the national spotlight.

“I have been a police officer for more than 30 years, and the federal government’s plans will hamper community policing and public safety,” Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson said in response to Sessions. “Undocumented immigrants are not driving violence in Chicago, and that’s why I want our officers focused on community policing and not trying to be immigration police

[Initech]

2. Make no mistake: The sanctuary cities argument is about wrestling control of cities.

From democrats into the hands of the GOP. We can't allow them to keep getting their way!

[lunasun]

3. Local newspaper read on Sessions

https://www.pressreader.com/usa/chicago-sun-times/20170808/textview

Though the Trump administration has attempted to link sanctuarycity status to the city’s crime problem, the Chicago Sun- Times has reported that illegal immigrants have played no role in the overwhelming majority of the murders that have put the city in the national spotlight.

“I have been a police officer for more than 30 years, and the federal government’s plans will hamper community policing and public safety,” Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson said in response to Sessions. “Undocumented immigrants are not driving violence in Chicago, and that’s why I want our officers focused on community policing and not trying to be the immigration police.”

With the filing of the lawsuit against Sessions, Chicago becomes the fourth city to wage a legal battle against the Trump administration bid to cut the crimefighting grants to sanctuary local governments.

Chicago’s 46- page complaint asks U. S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber — assigned to the case Monday — to stop the Justice Department from enforcing new conditions it has attached to the grant funds.
The city appears to be making a solid legal case, according to two experts from the University of Chicago Law School: Professor Aziz Huq and Assistant Professor Daniel Hemel. Both pointed out that, according to the city’s lawsuit, Congress did not give the Justice Department the power to create new conditions when it created the grant program.