July 21, 2017

by Aubrey Whelan & Mari A. Schaefer

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions railed against sanctuary cities such as Philadelphia and warned of increases in violent crime Friday morning in an address to federal law enforcement officials based here.

He said that cities that refuse to help federal authorities enforce laws against illegal immigrants are putting their citizens at risk.


Aubrey Whelan ✔ @aubreyjwhelan
Replying to @aubreyjwhelan
Sessions calling out sanctuary cities -- "it's sad to me to say that one of those jurisdictions is Philadelphia."

Aubrey Whelan ✔ @aubreyjwhelan
Sessions urging sanctuary cities "to reconsider the harm they are doing to their citizens"
8:17 AM - 21 Jul 2017 · Philadelphia, PA



About two dozen protesters demonstrated in steamy heat outside the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 6th and Chestnut Streets, where sessions is to appear. Amid chants of “No ban, no wall, the Trump regime has got to fall,” some of the protesters protesters blocked Chestnut Street, prompting police to divert traffic.

Mari Schaefer‏Verified account
@MariSchaefer

A small group of protestors blocked the street outside of where AG Jeff Sessions is speaking.

7:49 AM - 21 Jul 2017

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross said that local police don’t “belong in the immigration business,” adding that it is hard enough for officers to establish relationships in immigrant communities.


Aubrey Whelan ✔ @aubreyjwhelan
.@PPDCommish after Sessions' speech: "In Philadelphia, as it relates to violent crime, our problems are not people from other countries." https://twitter.com/aubreyjwhelan/st...17768302882816
8:50 AM - 21 Jul 2017 · Philadelphia, PA


The attorney general took no press questions, leaving with a message for the law enforcement officials in the audience. “[The Department of Justice] will always have your back,” he said.

Sessions’ visit comes a day after he vowed to remain on the job despite a rebuke from President Trump for recusing himself from the investigations into possible Russian ties to the Trump’s presidential campaign.

Sessions has said that sanctuary cities are violating the supremacy clause of the Constitution by limiting local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

A federal judge on Thursday refused to reinstate President Trump’s executive order to cut funding from cities that limit cooperation with U.S. immigration authorities.

The attorney general recently singled out Philadelphia before law enforcement officials in Las Vegas, saying the city is “advertising” its sanctuary policy and “protecting criminals.”

In a statement, Mayor Kenney said that the city had “experienced its lowest rate of crime in 40 years” the year he re-instated Philadelphia’s sanctuary city policy and that the policy keeps the city safer. “The Trump administration is threatening to reverse that progress,” he said. “If victims and witnesses of crimes don’t report those crimes to the police because they fear deportation, that allows the real bad guys to stay on the streets.”

“Blaming an entire group of people for our country’s problems and violating their right to due process isn’t constitutional and it isn’t American. Philadelphia treats immigrants as we would any other resident under our criminal justice system,” he said.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/po...-20170721.html