Justice Department warns 4 cities: Cooperate on immigration or lose our help on crime
WASHINGTON _ In another move to pressure cities to cooperate with immigration enforcement, the Justice Department threatened Thursday to withhold crime-fighting help from four cities if they refuse to hand over migrants in the country illegally to federal agents.
The department sent warning letters to police chiefs in San Bernardino and Stockton in California as well as to officials in Albuquerque, N.M., and Baltimore. All had expressed interest in joining a program that puts federal law enforcement manpower in cities struggling with violent crime.
The letters are the latest effort by the Trump administration to crack down on so-called sanctuary cities, the subject of one of the president's first executive orders in January. Despite repeated threats and announcements, the Justice Department has not cut law enforcement funding to any of the affected communities.
The latest letter arguably carries less weight, because it says the four cities risk being declared ineligible to join a program in which they don't yet participate. It does not threaten current law enforcement funding.
_Tribune Washington Bureau
