Justice Dept squeezes sanctuary cities

Lawsuits and speaking campaign

SANCTUARY CITIES ARE LOCALGOVERNMENTS THAT HAVE FORMALLYDECLARED THEY WILL NOT HELPWITH IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT.NOW -- THE U.S. JUSTICEDEPARTMENT IS MOUNTING ANATIONWIDE CAMPAIGN AGAINSTTHE ISSUE.

KGUN9 ON YOURSIDE'S CRAIG SMITH JOINS USNOW -- WITH WHAT HE HEARD FROMAN ASSISTANT U.S ATTORNEY ATTHE TUCSON OFFICE.PEOPLE WHO OPPOSE SANCTUARYCITY POLICIES SAY THEY KEEPAUTHORITIES FROM FINDING ANDDEPORTING DANGEROUS CRIMINALS.SANCTUARY CITY SUPPORTERS SAYSANCTUARY POLICIES MAKECOMMUNITIES SAFER BY MAKINGPEOPLE IN THE U.S. ILLEGALLYLESS FEARFUL ABOUT TALKING TOPOLICE.

NOW THE U.S. JUSTICEDEPARTMENT IS IN A NATIONWIDEPUSH TO CONVINCE THE PUBLICSANCTUARY POLICIES SHOULD NOTEXIST.ATTORNEY GENERAL WILLIAM BARRTOLD A SHERIFF'S ASSOCIATIONTHE ADMINISTRATION WILL SUE TOFIGHT SANCTUARY POLICIES INCALIFORNIA, NEW JERSEY ANDWASHINGTON STATE.

ONE DAYLATER, IN PHOENIX, THE U.S.ATTORNEY FOR ARIZONA WAS ONEOF MANY U.S. ATTORNIES ACROSSTHE COUNTRY SPEAKING AGAINSTSANCTUARY POLICIES... INTUCSON, ASSISTANT U.S.ATTORNEY LIZA GRANOFF SAYSBECAUSE ARIZONA HAS NOSANCTUARY CITIES, IN JANUARYALONE, FEDERAL AUTHORITIESWERE ABLE TO CHARGE MORE THANA THOUSAND PEOPLE WHO CAMEBACK TO THE U.S. AFTER THEY'DBEEN DEPORTED.

A LARGEMAJORITY HAD DUI CONVICTIONS.THEY HAD DOMESTIC VIOLENCEOFFENSES.

WE SAW TWODEFENDANTS WHO HAD BEENCONVICTED OF HOMICIDE.

WE SAWSEX OFFENDERS AMONG THAT GROUPOF INDIVIDUALS, AND A LARGEPART OF THOSE PEOPLE THATWEREN'T CHARGED HAD THREE ORMORE PRIOR DEPORTATIONS.

INTUCSON VOTERS REJECTED ANINITIATIVE TO REQUIRE ASANCTUARY POLICY ROUGHLY 70PERCENT TO 30 PERCENT.

BUTTUCSON POLICE WERE ALREADYUNDER A POLICY TO NOTPARTICIPATE IN IMMIGRATIONENFORCEMENT.

BILLY PEARD IS ANATTORNEY WHO WORKED ON THETUCSON SANCTUARY EFFORT.

HESAYS SANCTUARY POLICIES MAKE ACITY SAFER BECAUSEUNDOCUMENTED PEOPLE ARE LESSAFRAID TO SHARE INFORMATIONTHAT HELPS POLICE FIGHT CRIME.HE DESCRIBES THE FEDERAL PUSHAS MORE BARK THAN BITE.

BILLYPEARD/SANCTUARY INIATIVEATTORNEY: " IT APPEARS TO BEMORE OF A CONSCIOUS EFFORT TOIT FROM MY PERSPECTIVEINTIMIDATE OR SCARE LOCALELECTED OFFICIALS AND LOCALPOLICYMAKERS FROM, YOU KNOW,ENACTING FUTURE POLICIES ORPERHAPS INTIMIDATING THEM TOREPEAL OR ROLLBACK EXISTINGSANCTUARY POLICIES AT THEIRCITY LEVEL".NO GOVERNMENT IN ARIZONA HAS ASANCTUARY CITY POLICY NOW ANDGOVERNOR DUCEY WANTS TO CLOSEOUT THAT POSSIBILITY.

HE'SCALLING FOR A VOTE THAT WOULDCHANGE THE STATE CONSTITUTIONTO FORBID SANCTUARY CITIES.CRAIG SMITH -- KGUN NINE ONYOUR SIDE