White House proposed releasing immigrant detainees in sanctuary cities, targeting political foes

Could one imagine using the release of immigrants for political payback?

Rachael Bade and Nick Miroff for the Washington Post report that White House officials have tried to pressure U.S. immigration authorities to release detainees onto the streets of “sanctuary cities” to retaliate against President Trump’s political adversaries.  The Post based the report on interviews with Department of Homeland Security officials and email messages:

“Trump administration officials have proposed transporting detained immigrants to sanctuary cities at least twice in the past six months — once in November, as a migrant caravan approached the U.S. southern border, and again in February, amid a standoff with Democrats over funding for Trump’s border wall.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s district in San Francisco was among those the White House wanted to target, according to DHS officials. The administration also considered releasing detainees in other Democratic strongholds.”

CNN reports that the plan was designed to retaliate against opponents of funding for the President’s border wall and was the brainchild of White House senior advisor Stephen Miller.  Different DHS officials dispute whether the proposal made it to the desk of then-Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.

KJ