Elicker: “What world are we in right now where, because of a disagreement on policy, the Trump administration is threatening arresting local officials? That's something you see in Iran, that's something you see in Russia, and I guess that's something we see in America right now, but that's really sad.”
The Trump administration might try to criminally prosecute local officials who stand in the way of its mass deportation efforts — but Mayor Justin Elicker isn’t worried about being locked up.
After all, he stressed, there’s a big difference between not participating in federal immigration raids and actively trying to prevent them.
Elicker offered those thoughts Wednesday morning in response to a memo leaked from the Department of Justice (DOJ) instructing federal law enforcement to investigate for potential criminal charges state and local officials who interfere with the administration’s crackdown on immigrants.
The mayor — speaking with this reporter after an unrelated press conference at police headquarters – reiterated his support for his “Welcoming City” executive order. He also made clear that officials in New Haven won’t be opening themselves up to legal threats because they would not interfere with federal immigration authorities, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“We are not preventing the federal government from doing their work in our community. But we’re not going to participate in it because we have a lot of things to focus on, in particular with the police department on violence in our community,” Elicker said. “We need to work on keeping our community safe, not going along with the Trump administration’s, in my view, wrong-headed effort to persecute people that aren’t a threat to our community.”
The Welcoming City order currently prohibits city employees from inquiring about someone’s immigration status, disclosing confidential information, or using city resources to assist in an investigation unless compelled by state or federal law.
The leaked DOJ memo also instructs the department’s civil division to identify state and local laws and policies that “threaten to impede” the administration’s deportation plans and possibly challenge them in court.
While Elicker acknowledged the city is concerned about potential lawsuits, courts have repeatedly upheld sanctuary laws similar to New Haven’s that prohibit collaboration between local and federal law enforcement. Connecticut has also joined a lawsuit over Trump’s executive order rolling back birthright citizenship.
More broadly, Elicker described the new president’s flurry of executive orders as “contrary to what America stands for.” He also lamented what Trump’s threats mean for American democracy.
“What world are we in right now where, because of a disagreement on policy, the Trump administration is threatening arresting local officials?” Elicker said. “That’s something you see in Iran, that’s something you see in Russia, and I guess that’s something we see in America right now, but that’s really sad.”
Click on the video above to watch the Independent’s full interview with Elicker.