The U.S. Justice Department Friday sent letters to several cities and California prison administrators -- warning them that failure to cooperate with immigration enforcement could be considered a violation of grant agreements.
The Trump administration has talked openly about cutting funding to municipalities or agencies that refuse to hand-over inmates who are also wanted on immigration violations.
The letters appear to be the first formalized threats to cut grant funding to so-called "sanctuary cities."
The California Department of Corrections received a notice, as did officials in New York, Chicago, Las Vegas, Miami, New Orleans, Philadelphia, and in Cook County, Illinois, according to the DOJ.
Each of the recipients received Justice Department grant money.California prison officials did not immediately respond to a call for comment.
-- Eric Leonard (@LeonardFiles)