Seattle, King County respond to DOJ sanctuary city letter

Seattle and King County officials are telling the Department of Justice that the region will always be a safe and welcoming place as it responds to recent threats to sanctuary cities.

“There is no daylight between any part of Seattle, the county council, the city council, our community members, the police; we are united in this,” Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan said Friday. “… We have the good fortune to have a strong city attorney, a strong attorney general, a mayor who was the US attorney. We know what the law is. We will not let (the Trump administration) use their creative theories to back us into corners that don’t exist.”

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On Friday, Mayor Durkan, King County Executive Dow Constantine, and County Council chair Joe McDermott responded to a recent Department of Justice letter threatening to cut grant funding to sanctuary cities like Seattle. Durkan said that the exact amount of funding at risk is “unclear.” Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes said that one grant provides funding for three crime prevention coordinators at the Seattle Police Department.

The Department of Justice has asked King County to certify that they are in compliance with federal laws forcing local cooperation with federal immigration authorities. King County sent back a letter and legal analysis explaining how the county’s laws are in compliance.

“The Trump administration’s attempt to coerce cities like Seattle into enforcing federal immigration policies violates the US constitution,” Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes said.

In a statement, Council Chair Joe McDermott says the County will always remain a safe place.

“While this president plays to dividing Americans in every way he can, King County will remain a safe place no matter where you’re from, how you got here, or why you left,” McDermott said.

RELATED: Is crackdown on sanctuary cities even based on facts?

McDermott added that Trump is further attempting to spread fear and division in the country, and said the administration’s actions are “bullying and intimidation.”

“This is not a serious attempt to have a policy conversation; a discussion about policy with Seattle and King County,” he said. “The letter calls into question policies within the King County Sheriff’s Office and wants to threaten funds that don’t even benefit the sheriff’s office.”

DACA

At the Friday press conference about the region’s response to the Trump administration, the issue of DACA was also brought up.

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy protects children who were brought into the country illegally. It was created under the Obama administration. President Trump opposes the program and the Department of Homeland Security has stopped taking applications for it. Its fate lingers as lawmakers in Washington D.C. have debated its future.

It was pointed out Friday that there is enough support from Republicans and Democrats to keep DACA up and running. Durkan said that the Democrats should take the lead on ensuring it continues.

“I think the reason that action hasn’t happened is that this administration fears democracy,” Durkan said. “They fear hope. If we were able to have a vote on this I think the vote would be resounding … we are not going to count on Washington D.C. … we have the moral high ground in this … we will stand on that high ground.”