Justice Dept threatens anti-crime aid to 4 sanctuary cities

SADIE GURMAN
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) – Attorney General Jeff Sessions is again cracking down on so-called sanctuary cities. This time, he is threatening to keep federal crime-fighting resources from cities beset by violence if they don’t cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

The Justice Department sent letters to four cities telling them they will be ineligible for an anti-violence program if they don’t help detain and deport people in the country illegally. The cities – Baltimore, Albuquerque, and Stockton and San Bernardino, California – had expressed interest in the Public Safety Partnership. It offers agents, analysts and technology to find solutions to crime.

Sessions won’t let them participate unless they allow communication among police and federal immigration authorities, give agents access to jails and provide 48-hours’ notice when someone in the country illegally is to be released.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press.