Seattle Sues Trump Over Sanctuary Cities Threat

NPR, Mar. 30, 2017 - "Saying that Attorney General Jeff Sessions' threat to strip billions in federal grant money from so-called "sanctuary cities" is illegal and unconstitutional, the city of Seattle has sued President Trump and his administration, in a lawsuit that names Trump, Sessions and Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly. "We are not breaking any laws and we are prioritizing safety," Seattle Mayor Ed Murray said, according to member station KUOW. "Bullying and misstating the facts will not stand in the way of how the real laws of this country are enforced." On Monday, Sessions said the Justice Department plans to withhold up to $4.1 billion from "sanctuary cities" — a blanket term for many areas that refuse immigration agents' requests to detain immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency deems at least 118 jurisdictions as sanctuaries. "Such policies cannot continue," Sessions said Monday. "They make our nation less safe by putting dangerous criminals back on our streets." Seattle is asking a federal court to declare that it's not breaking the law by refusing to join the Trump administration's effort to strictly enforce federal immigration laws. In its lawsuit, Seattle is also asking a judge to rule on whether the executive branch is in breach of the 10th Amendment, which limits the government's power to commandeer state entities to enforce federal regulations. And the city says the Trump administration is violating the Constitution's Spending Clause by placing coercive conditions on the funding."