Chicago to Sue Justice Department over "Misguided" Sanctuary City Policy
BOLDUAN: "A misguided warning that violates the Constitution" is what Rahm Emanuel calls new requirements that threaten to withhold millions of federal dollars in crime-fighting grant money from his city, unless they assist with all federal immigration enforcement. Today, the city of Chicago plans to file a lawsuit against the Department of Justice over this. It's the latest confrontation between the Trump administration and this so-called sanctuary city. CNN's Ryan Young is joining us now for more on this. Rahm Emanuel says Chicago will not be blackmailed, Ryan. Where is this going?</s>RYAN YOUNG, CNN CORRESPODNENT: This is a big fight back and forth. Eventually, you knew the city was going to hit back toward Donald Trump. This has been a long-going conversation. Of course, President Donald Trump has been hitting the city over and over, especially on the campaign trail, talking about the violence in the city. Rahm Emanuel, the mayor of Chicago, said, look, this is a sanctuary city, we are fighting against violence, and the two do not have to go side by side. His argument is, if we start alienating communities throughout the city, there's no way people in immigrant communities are going to come forward and talk to the police. But there's money involved in this. We are talking millions of dollars for grant funds. The city says it needs the money to continue buying tasers, bullet-proof vests, equipment for the police department. They are worried that shutting off the money will put them at a disadvantage. When you talk about the federal government, they want access to people coming in who may be illegal immigrants. One of the things they want is a 48-hour hold. If someone has been brought in, they have a questionable immigration background, the city would then give ICE agents a heads-up so they could come in and have a conversation with them. The city believes that would freeze the idea of people in those communities coming forward and talking to police. In fact, Rahm Emanuel talks to us about an hour ago about the situation.</s>RAHM EMANUEL, (D), CHICAGO MAYOR: The fact is, by forcing us or the police department to choose between the values of the city and the philosophy of the police department of community policing, I think it's a false choice. It undermines our public safety agenda. So we are going to be filing a case saying that the Justice Department is wrong both on constitutional legal grounds. The federal government cannot coerce a city to change its policy.</s>YOUNG: Kate, the big conversation here is, what happens next? The federal government is already hitting back. I'll just paraphrase this for you. In 2016, more Chicagoans were murdered than in New York City and and Los Angeles combined. So it's especially tragic that the major is less concerned with that staggering figure than he is spending time and taxpayer money protecting criminal aliens and putting Chicago's law enforcement at greater risk. We've heard the concerns from the mayor. He says they will push forward and fight. The police department says they want to make sure anyone who calls 911 gets the kind of service they deserve. But this is obviously a conversation that we may see more cities join in, or do you see the city of Chicago taking this punch and taking this fight up by themselves? That's the question right now. But that lawsuit is moving forward. Now, the question is, who will blink first.</s>BOLDUAN: Sounds like the city has announced the lawsuit has officially been filed. It sounds like they are not only going to have a conversation, but this is on a collision course between the city and the federal government on this one. Ryan Young, thank you so much. Coming up for us, she went to a photo shoot and ended up captive and stuffed in a suitcase. This British model now speaking out after she was released after a harrowing experience. A gang nearly sold her on the dark web to the highest bidder. We'll be right back.