Baylson: Sanctuary Cities and Block Efforts

baylson: Both the federal government and the city of Philadelphia have important interests at stake here and the court does not minimize either of their concerns, the judge wrote, according to The Chronicle Herald. In this case, given Philadelphia's unique approach to meshing the legitimate needs of the federal government to remove criminal aliens with the City's promotion of health and safety, there is no conflict of any significance. U.S. District Judge Michael Baylson said in his decision that he weighed the public interest and possible harm that could come from withholding such funds. Baylson is the latest in a number of federal judges around the country to block efforts by the Department of Justice to withhold funding from sanctuary cities. And a Seattle judge declined to throw out a lawsuit brought by Seattle and Portland, Oregon, calling the DOJ's threats unconstitutionally coercive. Last month, a U.S. district judge in Chicago denied a request by the DOJ to lift a national freeze on the policy. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.