Sessions to Talk California and Sanctuary Policies

Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, is headed for California to announce a major policy decision on sanctuary policies that limit how much cooperation federal immigration officers receive from local and state law enforcement. Sessions is expected to use the California Peace Officers’ Association annual gathering in Sacramento, on Wednesday, to speak to law enforcement officials.

Officials with the Trump administration have promised to crack down on sanctuary policies that prevent local law enforcement officers from providing information on undocumented immigrants when they are released from jail to federal agents. California has been heavily criticized by the administration for enabling some sanctuary cities, such as San Francisco. In 2017, Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation that imposed statewide limits on cooperation with immigration agents, with some exceptions.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has pledged to increase its presence in the state, and Sessions is keen to block federal funds to jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate. California is currently suing the administration to try to force the release of one grant. The announcement from Sessions follows Oakland Mayor, Libby Schaaf’s advance warning on social media about an immigration sweep in her city, which ICE claims allowed hundreds of undocumented immigrants to escape detention, although the four-day sweep still netted over 200 people.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the spokeswoman for the White House, called the Mayor’s warning ‘outrageous’ and an effort to circumvent federal authorities that is under current review by the Justice Department.