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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 8 augusT 2017
Chicago sues over sanctuary city threat; Sessions fires back

By MICHAEL TARM government enforcement A first order of business now spent $33 million in grants money later. He described
SOPHIA TAREEN of immigration law while that Chicago’s suit has to buy nearly 1,000 police the Trump measures so far
Associated Press federal officials threaten been filed will be to ask a cars in that 12-year period; as just “the camel’s nose
CHICAGO (AP) — Mayor to withhold funding if those judge to put a freeze on it got $2.3 million last year. under the tent.”
Rahm Emanuel has taken cities don’t comply. the policy as the civil case In addition to cars, funds In his Monday statement,
his fight against President While estimates vary, plays out, said Edward Sis- were also used for radios Sessions said Chicago
Donald Trump’s immigra- there are thought to be kel, the head of City Hall’s and SWAT equipment. stood out in its “open hos-
tion policies to court, with tility” to enforcing immigra-
Chicago becoming one tion laws.
of the first cities Monday to “To a degree perhaps un-
sue over what many U.S. surpassed by any other ju-
cities argue are illegal bids risdiction, the political lead-
to withhold public safety ership of Chicago has cho-
grants from so-called sanc- sen deliberately and inten-
tuary cities. tionally to adopt a policy
Hours later, Attorney Gen- that obstructs this country’s
eral Jeff Sessions hit back lawful immigration system,”
at Chicago, saying the he said.
Trump administration “will Chicago’s suit focuses on
not simply give away grant new conditions set by Ses-
dollars to city governments sions for cities to qualify for
that proudly violate the rule grant money. They include
of law and protect criminal the sharing immigration-
aliens at the expense of status records with fed-
public safety.” eral agencies, providing
“So it’s this simple: Comply 48-hours notice of a detain-
with the law or forego tax- ee’s release if immigration
payer dollars,” he said in a violations are suspected
toughly worded statement. and giving federal agents
A 46-page lawsuit, which unfettered access to jails.
names Sessions, was filed City of Chicago’s Corporation Counsel, Ed Siskel, listens to a question during a news conference “The government,” the law-
earlier Monday in U.S. Dis- at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse, Monday, Aug. 7, 2017, in Chicago. Chicago has filed a federal suit says, can’t “unilateral-
trict Court in Chicago a lawsuit challenging a Trump administration immigration stance. The 46-page lawsuit filed Monday ly” set new conditions that
day after Emanuel an- says that “neither federal law nor the United States Constitution permits the Attorney General to weren’t approved by Con-
nounced the litigation and force Chicago to abandon ... critical local policy” on immigrants. gress “and that would fed-
said the city won’t “be (AP Photo/G-Jun Yam) eralize local jails and police
blackmailed” into chang- stations, mandate warrant-
ing its values as a city wel- about300 jurisdictions — legal department. That re- While the grant money less detentions in order to
coming of immigrants. including cities and coun- quest for a preliminary in- amounts to a fraction of investigate for federal civil
It’s the latest round in a bat- ties — with sanctuary-like junction could be made Chicago’s public safety infractions, sow fear in lo-
tle pitting several U.S. cities policies. Among the other within days. budget, Emanuel has said cal immigrant communi-
against the Trump adminis- bigger U.S. cities with such Chicago has received the fighting the government ties, and ultimately make
tration. The cities have opt- policies are New York and grant funds at the heart now could help prevent the people of Chicago less
ed to limit cooperation with Philadelphia. of the lawsuit since 2005. It the withholding of more safe.”q

New Hampshire to send unsearchable voter data to Trump panel

By HOLLY RAMER ties group later sued Sec- are public records avail- non-searchable, PDF form. database will not be com-
Associated Press retary of State Bill Gardner able for copying under the And while software exists promised, and that will pro-
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — — a member of the com- state’s Right-to-Know law. to convert such images to tect people’s privacy,” she
New Hampshire will send mission — to block him from “The secretary has re- searchable files, an attor- said. “I think there needs to
millions of scanned, un- sending names, addresses, ceived a request for spe- ney for the plaintiffs said be in the next session a little
searchable images of party affiliation and history cifically described, publicly doing so would be a futile bit of tweaking perhaps to
voter data to President of voting. available voter information. task. make sure the conflicts we
Donald Trump’s election Their argument focused New Hampshire law is clear “These voter checklists saw can be resolved.”
fraud commission under an on the law regarding New that he must provide it,” As- have so much that is hand- The state argued that voter
agreement reached Mon- Hampshire’s statewide sociate Attorney General written and checked and information has been pub-
day to resolve a lawsuit electronic voter data- Anne Edwards said in the marked, that it would be of lic in New Hampshire since
challenging the informa- base, which can be sold state’s motion to dismiss the no value,” said Paul Twom- 209 men from four towns
tion’s release. to political parties, politi- lawsuit. ey. State Sen. Bette Lasky, voted in the state’s first
The Presidential Advisory cal committees and can- A hearing on those argu- a Nashua Democrat who election 337 years ago and
Commission on Election In- didates, but is available to ments had been sched- sued along with Republi- remains an “essential tool
tegrity in June requested the public only at the state uled for Monday, but a can state Rep. Neal Kurk, of for ensuring the integrity of
any records considered archives, where it can’t be Hillsborough County Su- Weare, and the American our electoral process.”
public by states, including downloaded or printed. perior Court judge instead Civil Liberties Union of New Trump, a Republican, cre-
driver’s license numbers But the attorney general’s announced that the two Hampshire, said she was ated the commission in
and partial Social Security office argued that voter sides agree that Gardner pleased with the outcome, May to investigate his alle-
numbers, though no state is checklists maintained sep- will send digital copies of though she hopes lawmak- gations — offered without
supplying every item on the arately from the database the paper checklists dat- ers will revisit the issue. evidence — that millions
list. In New Hampshire, two by each town and city and ing to 2006. Edwards said “I feel that we got what we of people voted illegally in
lawmakers and a civil liber- sent to the state archives the documents would be in were looking for in that the 2016. q