Dem Rep Jeffries: Penalizing Sanctuary Cities ‘Not Consistent With Protecting the Safety and Well-Being’ of People

On Wednesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “Wolf,” Representative Hakeem Jeffries argued that the DOJ’s recommendations penalizing sanctuary cities are “forcing cities like New York to enforce draconian aspects of the law, in ways that would target undocumented families, not felons,” which “is not consistent with protecting the safety and well-being of the people of New York City, of these other places.”

Jeffries said of the court ruling blocking the DOJ’s recommendations on denying federal funds to sanctuary cities and the president’s criticism of the ruling, “Donald Trump has challenged the legitimacy of the independent press, challenged the legitimacy of the national security apparatus, challenged the legitimacy of federal judge after federal judge, not recognizing that we have a separate and coequal branch of government. The independent judiciary is important to our democracy. With respect to this particular decision. It was a clear-cut decision, anchored in the United States Constitution that the executive, the president, doesn’t have the power to threaten or withhold funding in order to accomplish a public policy objective. That has to happen through the legislative process, Wolf.”

Anchor Wolf Blitzer then asked Jeffries, “But do you think that cities like New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, others, there are dozens of other cities, so-called sanctuary cities, have a responsibility to pay attention to federal law?”

Jeffries answered, “We certainly have a responsibility to act consistent with federal law, when it’s humane, but also to do the right thing on behalf of the constituents that people in the city of New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, are charged to protecting. And by penalizing and forcing cities like New York to enforce draconian aspects of the law, in ways that would target undocumented families, not felons, is not consistent with protecting the safety and well-being of the people of New York City, of these other places. And that’s why I’m pleased that the federal court, so far, has declared that what Trump is trying to do through his executive order is unconstitutional and is wrong.”

(h/t RCP Video)

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