Rep. Culberson Threatens Justice Dept. Over Funding for Sanctuary Cities

This week Rep. John Culberson (R-Texas), Chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee that oversees the Justice Department, wrote Attorney General, Loretta Lynch, and warned her that if she did not pull federal funding for sanctuary cities he would remove her ability to move money around within the department for the entire 2016 fiscal year.

In the letter Rep. Culberson wrote:

“Sanctuary city policies across the country prevent State and local law enforcement from notifying the Department of Homeland Security when an illegal alien is released from their custody. This is unacceptable, and it allows thousands of criminal aliens to remain on the streets. The senseless, preventable deaths which have occurred as a direct result of these policies include Kate Steinle who was shot and killed in San Francisco by a seven-time convicted felon and five-time deportee who was released onto the streets of San Francisco due to their reckless and illegal sanctuary policy. 

“This is a complicated problem with a simple solution.” 

“State and local law enforcement agencies should not receive Federal law enforcement grant money unless they are in compliance with Federal law.”

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has counted more than 300 jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate with them in deporting criminal aliens. Yet, these jurisdictions continue to receive federal money, including money specifically used to hold the illegal aliens that they refuse to turn over to federal immigration authorities. View the Center of Immigration Studies’ (CIS) map of sanctuary cities here.

According to the CIS 9,000 criminal aliens that ICE wanted to deport were released back into their communities due to sanctuary city polices.

If Ms. Lynch does not agree Rep. Culberson warned that he could refuse her “reprogramming” requests to move money around to fit her own priorities this year. As Chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee he could accomplish this without approval from the rest of Congress. He also warned that she could face consequences when Congress writes its 2017 spending bill.

You can read more on this story at The Washington Times.

You can view the full letter from Rep. Culberson to Attorney General, Loretta Lync, here.