DEMS/IMMIGRATION/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/SANCTUARY CITIES: “Senate Democrats are questioning the Trump administration’s latest salvo in its push for strict immigration enforcement: possible criminal charges for local politicians in so-called sanctuary cities.
The Justice Department is exploring ‘what avenues might be available’ to criminally charge state and local officials who enact laws or guidelines limiting cooperation with federal immigration policies, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen confirmed during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing this week.
She said the request had come from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Senators Kamala Harris and Dianne Feinstein, both Democrats of California and members of the committee, asked the Justice Department on Wednesday [1-17-18] why it was looking into the matter…
It was not clear how seriously the Justice Department was considering the question or whether it had begun investigating any politicians. A spokesman said only that the Justice Department was working with ICE to explore all options for holding sanctuary cities accountable.
The possibility of criminal charges prompted concern among civil rights attorneys who viewed it as a step toward the politicization of law enforcement.”
-Katie Benner, “Democrats Question Justice Dept. Power to Charge Sanctuary City Leaders,” The New York Times online, Jan. 18, 2018