Thread: Sanctuary Cities Risk Losing DOJ Funds in 2017, Texas Congressman Says

by BOB PRICE
21 Nov 2016
Washington, D.C.

Sanctuary cities and other jurisdictions will now have to choose between protecting illegal aliens and receiving federal law enforcement grants thanks to the work of a Texas congressman.

Texas Representative John Culberson (R-TX) used his position as chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science and the congressional power of the purse to force the Department of Justice (DOJ) to enforce existing law requiring state and local law enforcement agencies to cooperate with immigration officials. Culberson announced in February an agreement with outgoing Attorney General Loretta Lynch to block federal law enforcement grants to jurisdictions with sanctuary policies, Breitbart Texas reported. Since that time, the Texas congressman has been working with DOJ officials to certify the top-ten jurisdictions not in compliance with the law.

Citing his committee’s power over the DOJ’s budget, Culberson stated in February:

Any refusal by the Department to comply with these reasonable and timely requests will factor heavily in my consideration of their 2017 budget requests, and whether or not I will include language in the fiscal year 2017 CJS appropriations bill prohibiting the award of law enforcement grants to jurisdictions that harbor illegal aliens. I will include language in this year’s bill requiring the DOJ to amend the application process for Byrne JAG, COPS, and SCAAP grants so that grantees must certify under oath that they are in compliance with section 1373 of title 8 of the United States Code.

The law was passed in 1996 during the administration of President Bill Clinton to force local and state jurisdictions to cooperate with immigration officials or risk losing federal funding. Part of the process requires the federal agency’s office of inspector general to certify that a jurisdiction is not in compliance in order to block funding.

“The law requires cooperation with immigration officials 100 percent of the time,” Culberson told Breitbart Texas in an exclusive interview. In February, Culberson provided Attorney General Lynch with a list of more than 300 sanctuary cities compiled by the Center for Immigration Studies.

From that list, the Department of Justice’s Office of Inspector General compiled a top-ten list of sanctuary jurisdictions. Those jurisdictions receive about 65 percent of federal law enforcement grants managed by the DOJ he said. Those jurisdictions include the entire states of California and Connecticut; Orleans Parish in Louisiana; New York City; Philadelphia; Cook County, Illinois; Miami-Dade County, Florida; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Clark County, Nevada. These jurisdictions have received more than $342 million in federal payments.

The 16-page report from the inspector general’s office was completed in May 2016, but was initially marked as “Law Enforcement Sensitive,” Culberson told Breitbart Texas. This marking prevented making the information public. Since that time, he used his power over the agency’s budget to force the inspector general to remove the classification. This was accomplished late last week, the congressman said.

He stated that the DOJ has notified these jurisdictions that unless they become 100 percent compliant with the law, they will not be eligible to receive these grants for the next fiscal year. The grant process begins in January 2017, Culberson explained. “The applications are taken in February and March and the awards are announced early in the summer months,” he stated.

While the law was passed in 1996, it took Culberson’s actions to force the DOJ to finally enforce the law for the first time in July 2016. “I had to stand on their ‘air hose,’” Culberson explained referring to Congress’ power to cut a federal agencies’ funds. “For those on the top-ten list, it is done.”

“The critical steps have already been taken,” Chairman Culberson stated. “President Trump and Attorney General Sessions will, on day one, be able to strip the funding from these sanctuary jurisdictions simply by enforcing existing law.”

Culberson said the action taken by the DOJ sets a precedent that can be used by other agencies to cut funding to sanctuary cities and other similar jurisdictions. “The days of receiving federal money while protecting illegal aliens are over,” he said.

In addition to blocking future federal grants, the incoming administration can use this same law to recover funds that have already been paid to these jurisdictions, the congressman explained. “This means, the State of California could be forced to repay the more than $3 billion in grants received over the past 10 years,” he told Breitbart Texas.

“I have encouraged the chairmen of other appropriations committees to take the same actions in their areas of jurisdiction,” Culberson said. “The timing on this action by the DOJ is perfect. The new administration can go right to work to force these jurisdictions to comply or simply choose to stop receiving federal money.”

http://www.breitbart.com/texas/2016/...gressman-says/

Yes, cut it off. Cut it all off. They want to stand their ground against the US taxpayer and US citizens? Well, then, we'll just keep our money.

Wednesday, November 23, 2016 02:33 PM
By: Sandy Fitzgerald

Action has already been taken to deny Department of Justice funds to sanctuary cities whose leaders refuse to cooperate to immigration officials, and President-elect Donald Trump can cut off their money on his first day in office, and require some to repay billions of dollars of assistance they're already received, Texas Rep. John Culberson said Wednesday.

"Using existing law and the power of the purse, I have seen to it that the top 10 sanctuary cities in America have already been certified as violating existing federal law," Culberson, who chairs the House Appropriations subcommittee overseeing the DOJ, told Fox News' "America's Newsroom" program.

"Everything is pre-positioned for these 10 cities, including Chicago, New York, the entire state of California. They will lose all their federal law enforcement money if President Trump chooses to," the lawmaker continued.

"The president can cut off their money on Jan. 20 if they do not hand over criminal illegal aliens in their custody."

The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, passed during former President Bill Clinton's administration, can be called into play, Culberson said, and requires cities to comply with immigration officials or lose their federal funding.

Culberson said that as chairman of the subcommittee in charge of DOJ funds, he "quietly persuaded" Attorney General Loretta Lynch to implement the policy.

In February, Culberson penned a letter to Lynch demanding she includes a promise to comply with federal laws, including cooperation with Immigration and Customs Agents when cities apply for Byrne Justice Assistance Grants — the community-oriented police office assistance program — and the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program.

If Lynch hadn't agreed, the DOJ could have faced consequences when Congress wrote its 2017 spending bill, Culberson said at the time.

On Wednesday, the representative told Fox News that Lynch has notified the sanctuary cities of of the issue, which was resolved in July, and Trump can immediately act on it as the policy is ready to go.

"The Department of Justice notified the cities unless you change your sanctuary cities and comply with federal law all the time, you are no longer eligible [for funds]," said Culberson.

"And if you continue to defy and get rid of your sanctuary policies, they will owe a refund every dollar they ever received from the federal government under these Department of Justice programs. And these are minimum figures.

"The state of California, if they will not change their law will owe taxpayers $1.2 billion. The city of Chicago will have to write a refund check to American taxpayers for $91 million, and New York City Mayor [Bill] de Blasio, you get to choose between protecting illegal aliens in your custody or refunding the money."

And if city leaders want to protect "criminal illegal aliens" then that is their decision, Culberson said.

"If you want to protect criminal aliens, don't ask for federal money," he said. "Those days are over. If you don't change your policy, you will have to write us a refund check. That will get their attention."

http://www.newsmax.com/US/john-culbe.../23/id/760432/

Use every dime to pay for The Wall !