Asks Court to Reinstate Nationwide Injunction of Immigration-related Conditions on Byrne JAG Grants
Chicago, IL – The U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) filed a complaint against Attorney General Jeff Sessions in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on July 16, 2018. “We took this action on behalf of our members because we believe that the immigration-related conditions the Department has recently placed upon receipt of funding under the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant program (“Byrne JAG”) are unlawful and unconstitutional,” explained USCM Executive Director and CEO Tom Cochran.
“The Conference believes that the Department’s immigration-related notice, access and compliance restrictions exceed the limited, largely administrative authority that Congress gave the Attorney General in the Byrne JAG statute; violate the U.S. Constitution; and represent an unwarranted federal intrusion into local policing practices that will jeopardize public safety,” Cochran continued.
The Conference filed the complaint jointly with USCM member Evanston, IL. The complaint seeks declaratory and injunctive relief consistent with the relief previously granted to Chicago by both the District Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Taking this action is consistent with the Conference’s adopted policies concerning these matters.
“The DOJ is on the wrong side of history, and the wrong side of the law when it comes to withholding public safety resources from cities across the country,” commented Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “We applaud the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the City of Evanston for standing united in the legal fight against the administration’s unconstitutional attempt to impose their reactionary ideology on local governments,” Emanuel continued. “Chicago is proud to stand with them, and stand up for our values as a welcoming city to immigrants and refugees from around the world.”