Los Angeles Joins Immigration Lawsuit Over Granting Detention Access To Feds
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com/AP) -- Los Angeles is seeking to join a lawsuit by San Francisco over immigration restrictions placed on a major federal grant by the Trump administration.
Los Angeles City Attorney Michael Feuer said in a court filing Tuesday that the conditions imposed on the public safety grant program run by the Department of Justice are unconstitutional. Feuer asked a federal judge to allow the city to join San Francisco's suit, which raises similar objections.
Under Special Order 40 established in 1979, the Los Angeles Police Department prohibits officers from initiating any police activity for the sole purpose of identifying someone's immigration status. It also prevents city employees from assisting any federal agency when the primary purpose is federal civil immigration enforcement.
Feuer and other city officials said the policy is critical to building trust and encouraging cooperation between residents and law enforcement.
"We're suing to block the Trump Administration from unconstitutionally imposing its will on our city," Feuer said. "The administration would put L.A. to the untenable choice of risking a key public safety grant for making
LAPD an arm of federal civil immigration policy."
Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in July cities and states can only receive Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance grants if they allow federal immigration officials access to detention facilities. They must also provide advance notice when someone in the country illegally is about to be released.
Seattle, Chicago and the state of California have also sued over the grant conditions.
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)