Mayor de Blasio and Officials Applaud the Department of Justice for Ending Grant Limitations on "Sanctuary Cities"

April 29, 2021

NEW YORK—Mayor Bill de Blasio, Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs Commissioner Bitta Mostofi and Corporation Counsel James E. Johnson today released statements applauding the Department of Justice for ending grant limitations on “sanctuary cities.”

Statement from Mayor Bill de Blasio:

“New York City is proud to be a welcoming and inclusive city for immigrants. We are thrilled by the news that the Department of Justice has recognized that anti-immigrant policies do not make our communities safer. Donald Trump’s vindictive attempt to withhold grants from cities that stand up for our immigrant neighbors was inhumane and unacceptable, which is why we joined localities across the country to challenge these policies in court. I look forward to working with the Biden administration to empower all our communities — including immigrants — to thrive.”

Statement from Bitta Mostofi, Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs:

“We applaud the Department of Justice’s decision to rescind the harmful Trump-era policy targeting cities that have stood up for the safety and well-being of all residents, regardless of immigration status. By withholding critical public safety grants in an unconscionable effort to further attack immigrants, these policies undermined the important work of keeping all of our communities secure by ensuring that no one is afraid to speak up about crime due to their immigration status. After long battles in court, fighting against uninformed and counterproductive policies governing public safety funding, we now look forward to building a more productive relationship with the new federal government that respects local decision-making and local expertise on how to maximize community trust and safety.”

Statement from James E. Johnson, Corporation Counsel:

“We welcome the announcement that the Department of Justice is rescinding the unconstitutional and counterproductive conditions on our public safety funding imposed under the Trump administration. These restrictions were unacceptable and would have undermined the work of local law enforcement to keep our communities safe for all residents, regardless of immigration status.  Accordingly, NYC joined with municipalities across the country to fight these policies in court. The Department of Justice has done the right and most effective thing by respecting the public safety expertise of local government and law enforcement by working with immigrant communities to protect them rather than persecuting them.”