“In reality, the City of Jackson’s Ordinance explains in great depth the spirit in
Lumumba stated in a Monday statement that it was established to “protect everyone in Jackson, legal or not,” “Meaning our
Lumumba said that police officers would investigate and also protect the rights of everyone in the great city. This statement was almost one week after the U.S. Department of Justice sent another round of notices and letters to Jackson and 22 other cities and counties. These local and state governments are being asked for documents by the department. This could be used to determine if they refuse to share information with federal immigration agencies and the department. If cities, states and counties do not respond by February 23, the department will subpoena these documents. Lumumba said this week that the city’s anti racial profiling ordinance does not violate any national law. This sentiment is similar to what he expressed in November, when the Justice Department threatened to cut funding for law enforcement in Jackson and 28 other states, counties, and cities. These threats were made after Jackson adopted policies it claims may ignore federal immigration law. Also known as “sanctuaries from immigration”, these policies are also considered illegal. The 2010 Jackson anti-racial profile ordinance that prohibits police officers asking questions about suspected immigrants’ immigration status in routine traffic stops has been scrutinized by state leaders, who claim undocumented immigrants can be a burden on taxpayers. Gov. Phil Bryant acknowledged that the ordinance was in place before signing an antisanctuary cities bill into legislation last March. The law, also known as Senate Bill 2710 at the time, went into effect immediately. It voids any policies that cities, counties, and agencies might adopt to restrict or prohibit anyone from cooperating or communicating with federal agencies to verify, report, or report on any person’s immigration status. It also nullifies any policies that allow a person to be lawfully present or have legal status in the state, regardless of whether it is in a city or county, or at a university, college community college, junior college or college. Bryant signed the law the day after U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions declared that the Trump administration would withhold federal penal justice grants from states, cities, and counties that are not cooperating fully with federal immigration authorities. California’s federal court challenged the order, and it is currently undergoing appeal. According to the Department of Justice website, the funding in question was the fiscal year 2016 Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Program (or JAG) award. This allows states and units of local governments to support a wide range of activities to control and prevent crime. In fiscal 2017, Mississippi received $1.8million from the program, according to records.
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