Free Daily Headlines :

  • COVID-19
  • Vaccine Info
  • Money
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Health
  • Justice
  • More
    • Environment
    • Economic Development
    • Gaming
    • Investigations
    • Social Services
    • TRANSPORTATION
  • Opinion
    • CT Viewpoints
    • CT Artpoints
DONATE
Reflecting Connecticut’s Reality.
    COVID-19
    Vaccine Info
    Money
    Politics
    Education
    Health
    Justice
    More
    Environment
    Economic Development
    Gaming
    Investigations
    Social Services
    TRANSPORTATION
    Opinion
    CT Viewpoints
    CT Artpoints

LET�S GET SOCIAL

Show your love for great stories and out standing journalism

CT sues DOJ over immigration conditions on policing grant money

  • Immigration
  • by Ana Radelat
  • July 18, 2018
  • View as "Clean Read" "Exit Clean Read"

C-SPAN

Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Washington – Connecticut on Wednesday joined five other states suing to block the Justice Department from punishing so-called “sanctuary” jurisdictions by putting immigration-related conditions on federal policing grants.

The state would lose more than $1.7 million in Byrnes crime-fighting grants if it does not comply with the conditions the Justice Department imposed last year.

Last summer, the Justice Department said it would withhold Byrne Justice Assistance Grants, usually the largest source of federal criminal justice funds for local and state governments, if a jurisdiction prohibits local officials from communicating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Funds also would be denied if a city or state blocked ICE from interviewing jail inmates, or did not provide at least 48 hours advance notice to the Department of Homeland Security regarding the scheduled release date and time of an immigrant in the jurisdiction’s custody.

Connecticut in 2013 passed the “Trust Act,” which allows state and local law enforcement agencies to ignore a federal “detainer” — a request to hold an undocumented resident for immigration officials — if he or she hasn’t committed a serious felony. The state also has a policy of encouraging law enforcement officials to refrain from asking about the immigration status of people they come in contact with.

The multi-state lawsuit, filed in a New York federal court, says the Justice Department’s conditions on the Byrne grants interfere with right of states and localities to set their own law enforcement policies. The lawsuit also argues that the DOJ lacks the authority to impose these new conditions, which could harm the relationship between local police and the immigrant community.

It called the imposition of the conditions “arbitrary and capricious.”  The lawsuit also said the conditions are unconstitutional since, in authorizing the grants, Congress has not placed those conditions on Byrne grants, which are distributed to states through a formula. The six states suing the Justice Department are New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Virginia, Washington and Massachusetts.

“President Trump and Attorney General (Jeff) Sessions are assuming power they don’t have and literally putting lives at risk,” Gov. Dannel Malloy said in a statement. “Connecticut has taken a leadership role in standing up to this president’s repugnant immigration policies, including the cruel and heartless ‘zero-tolerance’ family separation order. Today our state is once again at the forefront in fighting back against yet another unlawful, unconstitutional, and unintelligible Trump administration directive.”

The Justice Department said it does not comment on pending litigation.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions calls jurisdictions that do not fully cooperate with federal immigration officials “sanctuaries” that “intentionally undermine our laws and protect illegal aliens who have committed crimes.”

“These policies also encourage illegal immigration and even human trafficking by perpetuating the lie that in certain cities, illegal aliens can live outside the law,” Sessions said when he imposed the new conditions on Byrne grants last year.

The multi-state lawsuit states that on June 26 Connecticut was notified that it qualified for a Byrne award for fiscal year 2017 in the amount of $1,711,049. But to receive the money it must certify by Aug. 10 that it complies with the Justice Department’s conditions for the grants.

The lawsuit said Connecticut would give the money to various state agencies, “including funding stipends for local police to ensure their continued participation in and support of Connecticut’s Statewide Narcotic Task Force, substance abuse treatment services and other re-entry services in Connecticut prisons and communities.”

Federal grant money would also be used to fund the state’s opioid intervention project for local police departments, the lawsuit said, “the purpose of which is to reduce opioid-related deaths and reduce opioid-related crime and incarceration.”

“These grants support vital local law enforcement initiatives and were designed to give states access to funds to support a broad variety of public safety needs,” said Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen.

Connecticut’s cities also receive nearly $1 million in Byrne grants each year. Much of that money could be at risk because many of the Connecticut cities and towns that receive the money, including New Haven and Hartford, have immigrant friendly policies and are considered “sanctuary cities” by Sessions.

In October, members of Connecticut’s congressional delegation asked Sessions why the $1.7 million in Byrne grants slated for the state, and  more than $900, 000 earmarked for Connecticut’s cities and towns, were not received by Sept. 30 — the end of the fiscal year — suggesting the delay could be the result of “Connecticut’s immigration laws and policies.”

“If true, this delay would be illogical and potentially illegal,” the delegation letter said.

Sign up for CT Mirror's free daily news summary.

Free to Read. Not Free to Produce.

The Connecticut Mirror is a nonprofit newsroom. 90% of our revenue comes from people like you. If you value our reporting please consider making a donation. You'll enjoy reading CT Mirror even more knowing you helped make it happen.

YES, I'LL DONATE TODAY

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ana Radelat Ana has written about politics and policy in Washington, D.C.. for Gannett, Thompson Reuters and UPI. She was a special correspondent for the Miami Herald, and a regular contributor to The New York TImes, Advertising Age and several other publications. She has also worked in broadcast journalism, for CNN and several local NPR stations. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Journalism.

SEE WHAT READERS SAID

RELATED STORIES
Plan to expand child tax credit offers hope along with direct payments
by Lisa Backus | C-HIT.ORG

When her car started making a noise more than a year ago, Chinara Johnson parked the vehicle and hasn’t used it since. As a New Haven mother of 5-year-old twin boys, one of whom is on the autism spectrum, and an 8-year-old daughter, Johnson doesn’t have the money to get the car running properly again. […]

Republicans on key committee oppose no-excuse absentee ballot voting
by Mark Pazniokas

Republicans signaled Friday they will try to block fast-track action on a constitutional amendment allowing no-excuse voting by absentee ballot.

Ned Lamont’s year in the shadow of COVID
by Mark Pazniokas

Ned Lamont has been the face, voice, and interpreter of the COVID crisis, mourning deaths, explaining setbacks and cautiously celebrating.

With billions in federal relief on the way to CT, legislators assert their role in deciding how to spend it
by Keith M. Phaneuf and Mark Pazniokas

With an unusual bill, state legislators are reminding Gov. Ned Lamont they have significant role in disbursing federal coronavirus relief.

Rep. Patricia Billie Miller wins vacant Senate seat
by Mark Pazniokas

Rep. Patricia Billie Miller, D-Stamford, won a special election to the state Senate.

Support Our Work

Show your love for great stories and outstanding journalism.

$
Select One
  • Monthly
  • Yearly
  • Once
Artpoint painter
CT ViewpointsCT Artpoints
Opinion Assisted suicide lobby spreads falsehoods to promote systemic ableism
by Stephen Mendelsohn

Proponents of assisted suicide repeatedly spread falsehoods to promote their lethal and ableist agenda.  The February 8 op-ed, “Aid in dying is not assisted suicide” is no exception. Suicide is defined as the act of taking one’s life intentionally.  The person who intentionally ingests a prescribed lethal overdose more closely fits the dictionary definition of suicide than the despondent person who jumps off a bridge.  The desire for suicide is a cry for help, even when redefined as a “medical treatment option.”

Opinion TCI will create a fourth gasoline tax
by Christian A. Herb

The Transportation Climate Initiative, or TCI, calls for a proposed emissions fee on gasoline to help battle climate change. On the surface, supporters say it is a small price to pay to help save the planet; and if you truly believe that this is the case, then you should consider voting for it. Despite the administration’s efforts to go out of their way to not call TCI a tax, the simple truth is that it will only create additional financial hardships on lower- and middle-income families struggling to make ends meet during the pandemic.

Opinion Let’s keep telehealth when the pandemic ends
by Steven Madonick, MD

Telehealth may lead to positive, even transformational changes in psychiatric care, and Connecticut needs to keep it after the pandemic. Connecticut needs to pass the necessary laws to continue telehealth and telephonic care.

Opinion The public health bill no one is talking about, but should be
by Brian Festa

On February 16,  the legislature's Public Health Committee conducted a public hearing on two bills, S.B. 568 and H.B. 6423, both of which would eliminate the religious exemption to mandatory vaccinations for Connecticut schoolchildren.  The hearing was capped at 24 hours, depriving nearly 1,500 members of the public who had registered for the hearing their opportunity to be heard.  The vast majority of those who did testify, and who submitted written testimony, opposed the bill.  The committee is expected to vote on the bill as early as  today. 

Artwork Grand guidance
by Anne:Gogh

In a world of systemic oppression aimed towards those of darker skintones – representation matters. We are more than our equity elusive environments, more than numbers in a prison and much more than victims of societal dispositions. This piece depicts a melanated young man draped in a cape ascending high above multiple forms of oppression. […]

Artwork Shea
by Anthony Valentine

Shea is a story about race and social inequalities that plague America. It is a narrative that prompts the question, “Do you know what it’s like to wake up in new skin?”

Artwork The Declaration of Human Rights
by Andres Chaparro

Through my artwork I strive to create an example of ideas that reflect my desire to raise social consciousness, and cultural awareness. Jazz music is the catalyst to all my work, and plays a major influence in each piece of work.”

Artwork ‘A thing of beauty. Destroy it forever’
by Richard DiCarlo | Derby

During times like these it’s often fun to revisit something familiar and approach things with a different slant. I have been taking some Pop culture and Art masterpieces and applying the vintage 1960’s and 70’s classic figures (Fisher Price, little people) to the make an amusing pieces. Here is my homage to Fisher -Price, Yellow […]

Twitter Feed
A Twitter List by CTMirror

Engage

  • Reflections Tickets & Sponsorships
  • Events
  • Donate
  • Newsletter Sign-Up
  • Submit to Viewpoints
  • Submit to ArtPoints
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Commenting Guidelines
  • Legal Notices
  • Contact Us

About

  • About CT Mirror
  • Announcements
  • Board
  • Staff
  • Sponsors and Funders
  • Donors
  • Friends of CT Mirror
  • History
  • Financial
  • Policies
  • Strategic Plan

Opportunity

  • Advertising and Sponsorship
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Use of Photography
  • Work for Us

Go Deeper

  • Steady Habits Podcast
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Five Things

The Connecticut News Project, Inc. 1049 Asylum Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105. Phone: 860-218-6380

© Copyright 2021, The Connecticut News Project. All Rights Reserved. Website by Web Publisher PRO