The mayor of Richmond, Virginia, is doubling down on his city’s sanctuary policy.
Mayor Levar Stoney signed a directive in which he stated “The Richmond Police Department will not consent to participate with the Immigration Customs Enforcement 287(g) agreements and will focus on residents’ well-being, not their legal status,” according to WTKR News.
Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) 287(g) agreements allow local police “to enter into a partnership” with federal officials for the purposes of immigration enforcement, a system Stoney said is not welcome in his city.
“America is a nation of immigrants,” Stoney said in the directive. “Unless you are Native American, all of us are from somewhere else. This is not – as some have suggested – a weakness. Rather, it is our strength. It is what makes us great. It is why so many from so many parts of the world want to make this country their home.”
“Today, by this directive, Richmond reaffirms its position–where it has been since day one on this issue. That we stand with all our residents as a welcoming city, inclusive and diverse,” Stoney continued.
Stoney’s mayoral directive, though, was a mere statement towards President Donald Trump, as the city’s Police Chief Alfred Durham told WTKR News that his department never asks individuals about their immigration status.
“At no time during any citizen interaction does the RPD ask any person about their immigration status,” Durham said.
Stoney does put Richmond at risk of losing federal funds, as Trump’s immigration executive order gives Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary John Kelly and expected Attorney General Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Al) authority over cutting funds to jurisdictions that refuse to comply with federal immigration law.
John Binder is a contributor for Breitbart Texas. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder.