All the latest moves coming from Jeff Sessions would seem to imply that the beleaguered Attorney General has every intent of aggressively pushing forward with Trump's agenda in order to mend broken fences with the White House and try to keep his job. The latest such move comes in the form of the following rather direct official statement from Sessions in response to Chicago's lawsuit filed earlier this morning regarding federal funding, or lack thereof rather, for sanctuary cities.
Among other things, Sessions scolded Chicago's Mayor, Rahm Emanuel, saying that "no amount of federal taxpayer dollars will help a city that refuses to help its own residents." Meanwhile, Sessions also took direct aim at Chicago's soaring violent crime rate pointing out, as we have on many occasions, that the city recorded more murders in 2016 than New York and L.A. combined.
“No amount of federal taxpayer dollars will help a city that refuses to help its own residents."
“This administration is committed to the rule of law and to enforcing the laws established by Congress. To a degree perhaps unsurpassed by any other jurisdiction, the political leadership of Chicago has chosen deliberately and intentionally to adopt a policy that obstructs this country’s lawful immigration system. They have demonstrated an open hostility to enforcing laws designed to protect law enforcement — Federal, state, and local — and reduce crime, and instead have adopted an official policy of protecting criminal aliens who prey on their own residents. This is astounding given the unprecedented violent crime surge in Chicago, with the number of murders in 2016 surpassing both New York and Los Angeles combined. The city’s leaders cannot follow some laws and ignore others and reasonably expect this horrific situation to improve."
“The Mayor complains that the federal government’s focus on enforcing the law would require a ‘reordering of law enforcement practice in Chicago.’ But that’s just what Chicago needs: a recommitment to the rule of law and to policies that rollback the culture of lawlessness that has beset the city."
“This administration will not simply give away grant dollars to city governments that proudly violate the rule of law and protect criminal aliens at the expense of public safety. So it’s this simple: Comply with the law or forego taxpayer dollars.”
Of course, the comment from Sessions came in response to a lawsuit filed by Emanuel this morning aimed at preventing the Trump administration from withholding money from cities that deny U.S. immigration officials access to local jails. Per Reuters:
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, said the federal policies force the nation's third largest city to choose between its constitutional rights and funding for law enforcement.
"These new conditions also fly in the face of longstanding City policy that promotes cooperation between local law enforcement and immigrant communities," the lawsuit said.
"We are bringing this legal challenge because the rhetoric, the threats from this administration embodied in these new conditions imposed on unrelated public safety grants funds are breeding a culture and climate of fear,” Emanuel's senior legal adviser, Corporation Counsel Ed Siskel, said on Monday.
The conditions from the Justice Department apply to the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants, which provide money to hundreds of cities. Chicago is expected to receive $3.2 million this year for purchasing equipment.
The lawsuit came nearly two weeks after Sessions said the Justice Department would bar cities from the Byrne program unless they allowed immigration authorities unlimited access to local jails and gave immigration officials a 48 hour pre-release notice before releasing criminal aliens back onto the streets.
Of course, setting aside your views on federal funding for sanctuary cities for a moment, the irony of the situation is that taxpayers will ultimately end up spending well in excess of the $3.2 million due to the city of Chicago on lawyers to litigate whether or not a rogue mayor has the right to randomly choose which federal laws he will or will not enforce...only in America.