PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A spokesperson for the Providence mayor says the city is not at risk of being labeled a sanctuary city and losing federal funding.
WPRI-TV reports that while Democratic Mayor Jorge Elorza calls the city a sanctuary for immigrants, he says the city complies with federal immigration laws.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions wrote in a memo released Monday the term “sanctuary cities” only applies to places that “willfully refuse to comply” with the law.
Providence officials say police officers don’t go out of their way to assist Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. A proposed Community Safety Act would prevent officers from participating in ICE operations “solely for the purpose of enforcing federal civil immigration law.”
The city has received $2.7 million in grants from the Justice Department from 2013 to 2016.
