Chicago, IL (WHTC AM/FMThe City of Chicago filed a federal lawsuit today against the U.S. Justice Department over efforts to block funding for U.S. sanctuary cities.
The lawsuit stems from President Donald Trump’s immigration policies that went in affect last January, defunding sanctuary jurisdictions that refuse to comply with federal immigration law.
Chicago was supposed to receive grant money to put towards buying new police vehicles and other equipment.
The mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel, told the Chicago Tribune that “we are not going to be between picking our values of who we are as a welcoming city, and strengthening our police department.”
Holland Third Ward City Councilmen Brian Burch spoke with host Gary Stevens on WHTC Morning News about the issue. “This goes beyond immigration, it goes to drug policy, and it goes to gang enforcement. If our local police are picking and choosing what laws to defend and enforce, they aren’t doing their job.”
In a statement to the Tribune, Department of Justice spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores fired back at Mayor Emanuel. “In 2016, more Chicagoans were murdered than in New York City and Los Angeles combined. So it’s especially tragic that the mayor is less concerned with that staggering figure than he is spending time and taxpayer money protecting criminal aliens and putting Chicago’s law enforcement at greater risk,”
