Watchdog Confirms: Sanctuary Cities Are Law-Breakers

A federal watchdog has confirmed what concerned members of Congress and law enforcement advocates have known for some time — sanctuary cities are law-breakers.

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Inspector General published a report this week finding that the practices of these cities, that do not notify federal authorities about the immigration status of certain criminals, violates federal law.

“This opinion must bring an end to the excuses proffered by numerous Democratic leaders to defend the extreme and dangerous practices of sanctuary jurisdictions.”

The conclusions of the watchdog report, which were reached almost two months ago, were not released publicly until Thursday.

Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions issued a statement condemning the DOJ for delaying the report’s publication, saying the hold-up was “particularly frustrating” because it affected the outcome of a key senate vote a few weeks ago.

“This opinion must bring an end to the excuses proffered by numerous Democratic leaders to defend the extreme and dangerous practices of sanctuary jurisdictions,” Sessions said in his statement. “Notably, this memorandum was dated prior to a key Senate vote on Senator Toomey’s sanctuary jurisdiction legislation just a few weeks ago – legislation that would have ended this dangerous practice. Only two Democrats supported the legislation, all while this memorandum that makes clear the illegality of these policies was withheld from the public discourse.”

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The report also notes the number of sanctuary cities has continued to increase — despite increasing incidents of high-profile crime committed by non-deported criminal aliens.

“It is a simple fact that aliens lawfully here, and of course those unlawfully here, must be deported promptly upon their conviction for criminal offenses. Failure to do so places whole communities at risk, especially immigrant communities in those sanctuary jurisdictions,” Sessions said in his statement. “Yet the Obama Administration has been totally ineffective in confronting these policies that dramatically undermine the enforcement of our immigration laws.”

The DOJ report does however arm critics of these hotbeds of radical immigration policy with proof of their illegality.

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“The Inspector General’s decision is sound and firmly settles the question. Now, the law and the American people demand that this Administration cease its acquiescence in this illegality,” Sessions concluded in his statement. “The Obama Administration must immediately take action to withhold significant federal law enforcement funding for these offending jurisdictions.”

California alone, home to numerous sanctuary cities, could stand to lose over $100 million in federal funding if Congress or the courts take action to stop the lawlessness.

Jessica Vaughan, the director of policy studies for the Center of Immigration Studies, told Fox News that California’s sanctuary cities could not cost the state $135 million in withheld grants because of its California Trust Act.

“This irresponsible legislation has already caused the release of thousands of criminals that U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement was trying to deport,” Vaughan said. “The findings are pretty clear — these are sanctuaries and they are violating federal law…They should change their policies before more people get killed, and if they don’t, they should be debarred from DOJ grants.”