Statement Of United States Attorney Joseph D. Brown On Sanctuary Cities

US Attorney for Eastern District of Texas Joe Brown

SHERMAN, Texas – United States Attorney Joe Brown today applauded the speech of United States Attorney General William Barr to the National Sheriffs’ Association criticizing the state and local governments which have refused to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement actions.

“Attorney General Barr is exactly right on this issue,” said Brown.  “Jurisdictions which refuse to turn over criminal aliens are putting politics above public safety and are putting the interests of criminal aliens before those of law-abiding citizens.
https://www.justice.gov/opa/speech/attorney-general-william-p-barr-delivers-remarks-national-sheriffs-association-winter

When federal officers place detainers on offenders, a legal determination has already been made that there is probable cause to believe that the person committed a criminal act.  To refuse to honor these detainers can put dangerous people, who are not citizens of this country, back on the streets.  Increasingly, we see anti-law enforcement policies releasing dangerous criminals.

Just last week, the United States Customs and Enforcement Agency (ICE) released figures confirming that more than 400 criminals from a single county in California re-offended over the last two years after being released because of California’s sanctuary city policies.  The offenses the offenders were charged with after being released included rape, assault with a deadly weapon, child sex offenses, domestic violence, and driving while intoxicated.
https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/unimaginable-more-1500-aliens-ice-detainers-released-orange-county-jail-2019-many-re.

In the Eastern District of Texas, all of our county and local governments have cooperated with their federal partners in enforcing all of the laws that protect Americans.  We have no sanctuary cities in the Eastern District of Texas.  We thank the policymakers and law enforcement leaders in the 43 counties that make up our district.  We also thank the policymakers of the State of Texas who have clearly indicated their support for immigration enforcement.”