A new report released Monday makes good on a Trump administration promise to apply pressure to so-called sanctuary cities, a strategy that’s part of an overall push for the deportation of violent, undocumented criminals living in America.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement released the report, which provides details on jurisdictions nationwide that have failed to notify federal authorities when undocumented immigrants are released from their custody.
The Declined Detainer Outcome Report outlines data for the week of Jan. 28, and the Department of Homeland Security says updated reports will be released each week. The effort is a result of President Trump’s Jan. 25 executive order that mandates the compiling of “a comprehensive list of criminal actions committed by aliens and any jurisdiction that ignored or otherwise failed to honor any detainers with respect to such aliens.”
A detainer notifies law enforcement agencies that ICE plans to take custody of an undocumented immigrant. According to this week’s report, ICE issued more than 3,000 detainers nationwide from Jan. 28 to Feb. 3. Of those, 206 were declined by jurisdictions in 16 states during the same timeframe. The report detailed which counties declined to honor the detainers, as well as examples of the criminal activity of the individuals, such as drug possession, domestic violence or assault.
Clark County in Nevada had the most declined detainers with 51. Nassau County in New York had 38, and Cook County in Illinois had 13.
“It is not acceptable for jurisdictions to refuse to cooperate with federal law enforcement by releasing criminal aliens back into our communities when our law required them to be deported,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions in a statement released Monday. “The Department of Justice will use all lawful authority to ensure that criminals who are illegally in this country are detained and removed swiftly and to hold accountable jurisdictions that willfully violate federal law.”
Trump’s executive order also called on DHS to create the Victims Of Immigration Crime Engagement office, or VOICE. In an address to a joint session of Congress earlier this month, Trump said the office would work to help American victims “ignored by our media, and silenced by special interests.” He introduced family members of people killed by undocumented immigrants.
“Your loved ones will never be forgotten, we will always honor their memory,” said Trump, addressing the family members during his address.