Home · World · Sep 11 archive
DHS Secretary Mullin Criticizes Sanctuary Cities at 9/11 Speech
Developing
In Short: DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin used his 9/11 speech to criticize sanctuary cities, arguing they provide a safe haven for potential terrorists.
Mullin's comments come as the Trump administration has consistently criticized sanctuary cities and threatened to cut their federal funding. He accused these jurisdictions of creating conditions that could lead to the next terror attack, despite the fact that sanctuary cities do not stop federal agents from operating in their boundaries but typically prohibit local police and jails from being deputized into carrying out federal immigration work.
Backers of sanctuary cities argue that jointly conducting immigration operations with federal agencies undermines immigrant communities' trust in local police and strains budgetary resources. However, even in sanctuary cities, federal agencies have the legal authority to pursue arrests and detain suspected criminals. DHS also has numerous local cooperation agreements with police departments and sheriff's offices, including in sanctuary states.
Mullin also expressed frustration that the reputation of DHS had become so politicized, given its mission of protecting all Americans, during his speech.
What's still developing
- “It’s tough to sometimes fight — and I’m not trying to get political here, but I will — sanctuary cities that they don’t want us to go into,” Mullin told a crowd at Resilience Plaza at DHS headquarters in Washington, D.C. “They can say it’s for humanitarian purposes, but the truth is, when you become a sanctuary city and you’re not supporting law enforcement, when you're not allowing law enforcement to do their job, it’s a safe haven that incubates terrorist activity,” Mullin added.
- “When I stepped into the job of secretary in 2013, the department was still, I think, viewed primarily as security,” Obama administration DHS secretary Jeh Johnson recently told NBC News.
Sources
- The Independentlink