Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner reacts to Republican scrutiny over ICE policies
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner is responding to scrutiny from Congressional Republicans over the city's immigration policies.
Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, chairman of the House Committee on the Judiciary, and California Rep. Tom McClintock sent a letter to Krasner on May 4, accusing his office of giving preferential treatment to undocumented immigrants.
The committee is "conducting oversight of state and local jurisdictions that endanger American communities" by refusing to cooperate with federal immigration officials, the letter says.
The committee is giving Krasner until May 18 to turn over a series of records, including all documents since 2018 that mention the DA's office relationship with ICE and communications related to immigration enforcement.
Krasner said his office will share the documents, but he took issue with the message.
"The 10th Amendment to the United States Constitution is very clear, it's called the Commandeering Doctrine, and what it says is that federal authorities cannot force local authorities to assist them in enforcing federal law, including immigration law," Krasner said in a press conference.
Krasner also argued that deporting people accused of crimes lets them off the hook because they do not face trial or prison time in the United States.
"Jim Jordan, you and your party's upside-down, hateful mass deportation policies are discriminating against U.S. citizen defendants and all victims by favoring that very small number of undocumented people who commit serious crimes, and you are at the same time stepping on the nonviolent, hardworking immigrants who contribute to American society," Krasner said.
John Allante McAuley with Flip Philly Red criticized Krasner's handling of immigration-related issues.
"It's a danger," he said. "When you don't know who is in your city, when you're telling the Philadelphia police that you cannot work with ICE, you're putting illegal aliens before Philadelphians."
A package of laws passed by Philadelphia City Council became law last week, including a measure that bans law enforcement from wearing masks and requires officers to display badges and one that limits city cooperation with ICE.