DOJ Threatens To Subpoena Lawrence In ‘Sanctuary City’ Fight
More than 200 people turned up at the corner of Washington and School Streets to the SEIU immigrant rally in reaction to statements made by President Trump threatening to strip federal funding from so-called “sanctuary cities.” Photo by Jesse Costa for WBUR.
Lawrence, Massachusetts is one of 23 jurisdictions that have received a letter from the Justice Department threatening to pull certain federal grant funds if the city cannot prove it complies with federal immigration authorities.
The letter, addressed to Chief of Police Roy Vasque, questions whether the city might be interfering with immigration enforcement and as such, may be ineligible for what’s called the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant. The city’s 2017 grant application requested close to $67,000 in funding for “video monitoring of public spaces” and an upgrade in police equipment.