PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The Latest on Philadelphia suing Attorney General Jeff Sessions (all times local):
2:15 p.m.
A Department of Justice spokesman says Philadelphia is doing a disservice to its residents “by protecting criminal aliens rather than law-abiding citizens.”
Spokesman Devin O’Malley’s comments on Wednesday are in response to a lawsuit Philadelphia filed against Attorney General Jeff Sessions over what officials call “unlawful” immigration restrictions placed on a major federal grant.
The city is asking the court to stop Sessions from adding these conditions to a grant program used to pay police overtime, upgrade equipment and courtroom technology and train officers.
Philadelphia’s so-called “sanctuary” status has made it a frequent target of the attorney general.
O’Malley says the city should be focused on its rising murder rate, and adds “when criminal aliens are returned to the streets instead of sent home, public safety is undermined.”
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10:15 a.m.
Philadelphia is suing Attorney General Jeff Sessions over what officials call “unlawful” immigration restrictions placed on a major federal grant.
In the lawsuit announced Wednesday, the city is asking the court to stop Sessions from adding these conditions to a grant program used to pay police overtime, upgrade equipment and courtroom technology and train officers.
Philadelphia’s so-called “sanctuary” status has made it a frequent target of the attorney general. Sessions said in July that cities and states can only receive Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance grants if they allow federal immigration officials to access detention facilities, and that they must provide advance notice when someone in the country illegally is about to be released.
Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco have also sued over the grant conditions.
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