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View Winners → Pasadena Faces Crucial Discussion in Light of AG Sessions’ Announcement
News Mar 27, 2017
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– Photo by Terry Miller / Beacon Media News
By Terry Miller
Today, March 27, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced actions against “sanctuary jurisdictions.” His comments read, in part:
“Unfortunately, some states and cities have adopted policies designed to frustrate the enforcement of our immigration laws. This includes refusing to detain known felons under federal detainer requests, or otherwise failing to comply with these laws. For example, the Department of Homeland Security recently issued a report showing that in a single week, there were more than 200 instances of jurisdictions refusing to honor Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer requests with respect to individuals charged or convicted of a serious crime. The charges and convictions against these aliens include drug trafficking, hit and run, rape, sex offenses against a child and even murder.
“Such policies cannot continue. They make our nation less safe by putting dangerous criminals back on our streets.
“DUIs, assaults, burglaries, drug crimes, gang crimes, rapes, crimes against children and murders. Countless Americans would be alive today – and countless loved ones would not be grieving today – if the policies of these sanctuary jurisdictions were ended.
“Not only do these policies endanger the lives of every American; just last May, the Department of Justice Inspector General found that these policies also violate federal law.”
The order also states that “the Attorney General and the Secretary [of Homeland Security] . . . shall ensure that jurisdictions that willfully refuse to comply” with the law “are not eligible to receive Federal grants, except as deemed necessary for law enforcement purposes by the Attorney General or the Secretary.”
Immigration policy of Pasadena is as follows (however, as a result of the announcement by the Attorney General, Pasadena’s policy could change):
“The City of Pasadena strongly believes that immigrants strengthen the community economically and culturally, and welcomes their contributions to society. With regard to federal legislation aimed at reforming federal immigration laws, the City would urge Congress and the President to reaffirm that addressing unlawful immigration in a compassionate manner is the primary responsibility of the federal government, and that sufficient resources must be committed on the federal level for this purpose.
“A resolution adopted by the City Council in October 2013, the City of Pasadena hereby supports a humane and comprehensive immigration reform proposal with the following principles: provides an attainable and affordable pathway to full citizenship for the nearly 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States; family unity as a cornerstone of our immigration system; provides due process and labor protections; allows access to key essential services such as health care; and local governments should not be mandated to enforce federal immigration laws, particularly when resources necessary to enforce local laws are already stretched.”
Pasadena Independent Reporter Gus Herrera will have a full report in tomorrow’s edition of Pasadena Independent.
