CTBA tallies up what Chicago could lose
Tuesday, Mar 28, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The Center for Tax and Budget Accountability tallies up what Chicago stands to lose if US Attorney General Sessions makes good on his pledge to cut off Justice Department grants to so-called sanctuary cities…
A review of Chicago’s 2017 grants suggests that the city received about $24.5 million from the DOJ in this fiscal year, including:
$9.6 million in Justice Assistance Grants, which fund a variety of programs in the Chicago Police Department;
$7.3 million in grants from the COPS Hiring Program;
$1.4 million in grants for body-worn cameras; and
$154,000 in grants for programs that address violence against women.
Not all of this money may be immediately threatened, however. Some grant programs, like COPS, are subject to Congressional appropriation, and may therefore require Congressional action to change.
* Sun-Times…
Examples include a joint Chicago/Cook County Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant of $2,333,428; the Cook County Justice and Mental Health Collaboration, $243,012; and the Cook County South Suburban Safe and Thriving Communities Project, $1 million.
Besides Chicago and Cook County declaring sanctuary status, Evanston and Oak Park have sanctuary ordinances; Melrose Park has one in the works.
Evanston Police and the Northwestern University Police Department won $139,277 for a Body Worn Camera Implementation Program.
* Related…
* Lawyer says man was shot by ICE agent ‘without cause’
* Mark Brown: Shooting shows Trump immigration push makes us less safe
- Collinsville Kevin - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 9:33 am:
To be honest, a lot of this sounds like a waste of taxpayer money, and getting rid of the Byrne grants would probably be a benefit.
- The Captain - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 10:07 am:
The DC Republicans love bashing Chicago’s murder rate. If they cut funding to Chicago police they stand to share the blame, this may end up being a rather intense game of chicken but I find it hard to believe they’ll ultimately cut funds for police here.
- CrazyHorse - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 10:18 am:
I doubt if any of these funding threats change Sanctuary Policy. If they really want to change that policy they should simply begin rounding up the undocumenteds in droves, including the otherwise law-abiding. They could then say they’ll be glad to stop if Rahm and Co. would simply honor I.C.E. detainers for people who have been ARRESTED and are in custody. That’s the old school/military trick of punishing all for the actions of a few. Eventually the people unfairly punished will revolt against the miscreants.
Sessions isn’t asking for witnesses and people reporting crimes to be detained. He’s simply stated that if a person (known to be undocumented) is arrested by CPD, Cook County, etc. they should be detained for a prescribed time (I think it’s 48 Hours.), until I.C.E. assumes custody. If I.C.E. doesn’t show then they can be released. CPD or Cook County is also reimbursed for the associated cost of detainment. It’s a political ploy, nothing less, as I can’t see how anyone wants to keep criminals from being deported. My guess is that the majority of undocumented immigrants would like to see those people gone as well. There are, unfortunately, a bunch of blurred lines and a debate about which crimes should warrant a call to I.C.E. etc. Since they won’t even call I.C.E. when heinous crimes are committed there’s no point in even debating them now.
- Mugwump - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 10:21 am:
It may be unconstitutional for the federal government to force non-judicial state officials to enforce federal law. Ironically a gun control case that was wrongly decided, according to Justice Stephens.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printz_v._United_States
- CrazyHorse - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 10:29 am:
Sessions should simply continue to increase the deportations in all sanctuary cities. That will solve the problem on it’s own.
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 10:41 am:
The best way of ending bad law is trying to implement it. Obey the law. If it doesn’t work, they’ll be real world reasons and examples to use against it to force change.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 11:04 am:
Sessions was just tossing out some red meat for the Trump base after the failure to repeal Obamacare. That administration is in great need of distracting news stories these days.
- Last Bull Moose - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 11:57 am:
Immigration and deportation are areas where Trump can act using existing laws. I expect him to ramp up action here to get some visible wins.
- W Flag - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 3:53 pm:
The earliest “sanctuary city” policies date back to an executive order signed by Mayor Harold Washington (back in the day when Black and Latino politicians were part of the same coalition).
The existing laws are fairly clear, but were not being uniformly enforced until Trump took office.
Apart from political grandstanding, it is difficult to see where Chicagoans gain from the Rahm Emanuel and Toni Preckwinkle shuffle. It could cost the city and county big time. The Federal laws are superior to local ordinances. The Chicago City Council cannot override the US Congress.
Rahm keeps reminding us that his grandfather was an immigrant which is terrific, but I doubt that he was an illegal immigrant.
- blue dog dem - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 6:38 pm:
In my opinion, sanctuary city status is nothing more than typical partison rhetoric. Means zippo. When then pres Obama deported 40,000/mo
, few, if any said diddly. So when I read or hear outcry over this issue, I take it for what it is.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Mar 28, 17 @ 6:49 pm:
@Blue Dog Dem:
Eisenhower deported 1 million in a year to curb illegal immigration.
It is partisan rhetoric.