Press Release - Fact Sheet: Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Sessions Stand Up Against Lawless Sanctuary Cities

PROTECTING AMERICANS NO MATTER WHERE THEY LIVE: Today, Attorney General (AG) Jeff Sessions delivered remarks outlining the danger of sanctuary policies, and the Trump Administration's efforts to bring law and order to America's communities.

• Today, AG Sessions delivered a speech in Miami-Dade County regarding the county's reversal of sanctuary city policies shortly after President Trump's inauguration.
  • In February, after President Trump made it clear he would not stand for lawlessness in the country's immigration system, Miami-Dade County reversed its years-long sanctuary city policies.
  • Earlier this month, the Department of Justice (DOJ) determined Miami-Dade County to be "in compliance" with immigration laws.
• One of President Trump's first Executive Orders informed sanctuary cities that failure to fully abide by Federal immigration laws would jeopardize their access to certain Federal grant money.
  • Last month, DOJ laid out new guidelines requiring jurisdictions to cooperate with Federal immigration authorities in order to receive Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants, a leading source of Federal law enforcement funding.
• The DOJ issued new charging guidelines in April to end catch-and-release policies by prioritizing criminal immigration enforcement to prevent and deter illegal immigration.

RESTORING LAW AND ORDER TO OUR IMMIGRATION SYSTEM: President Trump made immigration enforcement one of the top priorities of his Administration.

• The President ordered the hiring of 10,000 new Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers and 5,000 additional border patrol agents.
  • 54 additional immigration judges have been hired since President Trump took office to relieve our overburdened courts, and new immigration judges are hired every month.
• President Trump has acted to build a wall to finally secure the southern border and prevent illegal immigration from spilling across the country.
  • To jumpstart construction on the border wall, President Trump ordered the Department of Homeland Security to use $20 million of unspent appropriations in its account for border security, fencing, and infrastructure.
  • The Department of Homeland Security has authorized a waiver to expedite a 15-mile stretch of wall near San Diego.
• President Trump ordered the creation of the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) office at DHS, ensuring victims of criminal acts by illegal aliens are no longer ignored by the Federal Government.

ACHIEVING RESULTS IN REDUCING ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION: In a few months, President Trump has substantially reduced illegal immigration across the southern border and restored law and order to our immigration system.

• President Trump instituted tough immigration policies that have reduced illegal border crossings over the southwest border by 47 percent compared to the same period last year.
• The more than 57,000 orders of removal and voluntary departures of illegal aliens represent a 30.9 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
• So far in fiscal year 2017, ICE has removed over 2,700 criminal gang members, compared to 2,057 criminal gang members in all of fiscal year 2016.
  • ICE has specifically targeted MS-13 criminal gang members for removal on immigration violations.