Adler among mayors to meet with Homeland chief

Austin Mayor Steve Adler is among mayors invited by the U.S. Conference of Mayors to a meeting with Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly next Wednesday in Washington, D.C. At the top of that agenda will be a discussion about what a sanctuary city is and is not. Austin and Travis County have been accused of being sanctuary jurisdictions because Sheriff Sally Hernandez has refused to honor federal detainers of unauthorized immigrants except for those accused of specific major crimes, such as murder and aggravated sexual assault. Though a magistrate judge has said that Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, targeted Travis County for immigration raids as retaliation for Hernandez’ announced policy, ICE denied that was the case Tuesday. Adler took part in the U.S. Conference of Mayors telephone briefing Tuesday, which was proclaimed a Day of Action in support of immigrants and immigration reform. At that group’s winter meeting, the mayors adopted a resolution calling for bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform and a recognition of the economic, social and cultural contributions immigrants make to communities throughout the country. Among those leading the charge Tuesday were Mayor Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles and Mayor Ed Murray of Seattle. The city of San Francisco has filed suit against the federal government to stop future enforcement of an executive order to take federal funding away from sanctuary cities. Although the federal government has taken no such action so far, the judge in the case has scheduled an April 5 hearing on a request for an injunction. According to the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco claims that it could lose $1.2 billion in federal funds, mostly for entitlement programs for the poor.