California, San Francisco Join Legal Fight Against Sanctuary City Restrictions
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com/AP) -- The state of California and city of San Francisco are suing the U.S. Department of Justice over President Donald Trump's sanctuary city restrictions on public safety grants.
In a news conference Monday, Attorney General Xavier Becerra and City Attorney Dennis Herrera, both Democrats, announced the lawsuit, which makes California the first state to challenge the administration on its sanctuary city policy of denying funds to cities that limit cooperation with enforcement of U.S. immigration laws.
Congress has appropriated $28.3 million in law enforcement funding grants to California through the Edward Byrnes Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program (JAG), according to Becerra.
"The Trump Administration cannot manipulate federal grant fund requirements to pressure states, counties or municipalities to enforce federal immigration laws," the attorney general said. "By placing unconstitutional immigration enforcement conditions on public safety grants, the Trump Administration is threatening to harm a range of law enforcement initiatives across California."
Chicago filed a similar suit last week, arguing that the Trump administration's bid to withhold public safety grants from so-called sanctuary cities is illegal.
While San Francisco passed a sanctuary ordinance in 1989, the city of Los Angeles has never officially declared itself to be sanctuary city, though advocates continue to seek for an official declaration.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions has said the Trump administration "will not simply give away grant dollars to city governments that proudly violate the rule of law and protect criminal aliens."
At least six locations are suing, with Chicago last week becoming the first so-called sanctuary city to scrutinize a specific grant.
A New Mexico county mulled new rules encouraging cooperation with federal authorities. Baltimore and others are trying to prove to the White House they aren't sanctuary cities and qualify for crime-fighting help.
Trump's administration says it's following through on promises to crack down on cities and counties that don't comply.
But the result for some has been growing confusion, budgeting headaches, worries about increased crime and more tension with immigrant residents.
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
