The Justice Department’s fiscal budget request for the year 2018 contains a provision that would grant it a vast expansion of its ability to compel local police departments to enforce federal immigration laws and get tough with sanctuary cities.
The agency is looking to see US Code 1373 be given a sweeping overhaul. US Code 1373 is a section of law that prevents local governments from enacting policies to prevent officials sharing citizenship information with the federal government.
If the changes do eventually appear in budget language that is given approval by Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump, it would clarify that local governments have to obey federal detainer requests to keep inmates in custody after their scheduled date for release so that they can be picked up by immigration authorities.
The changes would also prevent local officials from enacting policies to prevent police officers or other employees from making inquiries about the immigration status of individuals that they come into contact with. Details of the changes were scarce from budget officials at the Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department, but they claim that they will have more to say at a later point.
At a briefing on the budget request made by the Justice Department, Assistant Attorney General Lee Lothfus remarked that the provision would make some alterations to a number of the rules that relate to cooperation with immigration officials. The scope of US Code 1373 has been at issue since President Trump suggested penalizing those cities that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.