Law Enforcement Funding at Risk

Under various legislative proposals, funding for critical law enforcement grants to cities and counties that have community trust policies are in danger. These policies include a wide range of practices and laws that specify how state and local law enforcement officials should interact with federal immigration officials. Georgia could lose around $770.000.

In doing so, they help public safety by building trust between law enforcement and the community. 

Nevertheless, they are being attacked by legislators seeking to punish so-called “sanctuary cities” in the wake of the tragic death of Kathryn Steinle in San Francisco. 

Were these legislative proposals to become federal law, states across the nation could lose significant law enforcement funding depending on the funding source targeted and the way the proposal defines a “sanctuary city”. 

This money is used to fund salaries, training, and equipment, and is a critical tool that police forces rely upon. The table below lists states that would be in danger of losing significant funding for four key federal programs:

Note: All numbers rounded.

Methodology: The calculations above are based upon adding up the individual funding that each jurisdiction (cities and counties) purported to have a community trust policy in a given state receives, for each of the 4 law enforcement programs above. In each of the states listed, one or more localities are reported to have a community trust policy based on research by CLINIC and the Immigrant Legal Resource Center.

Sources: CLINIC, “States and Localities that Limit Compliance with ICE Detainer Requests (Nov 2014), 

https://cliniclegal.org/resources/articles-clinic/states-and-localities-limit-compliance-ice-detainer-requests-jan- 2014 (last accessed July 2015); Immigrant Legal Resource Center, “Detainer Policies,” n.d., 

http://www.ilrc.org/resources/detainer-policies (last accessed July 2015). BJA FY 15 Edward Byrne Memorial 

Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program Allocations by state: https://www.bja.gov/Programs/JAG/jag15/15XX.pdf (insert two-digit state code in place of XX) (last accessed July 2015); BJA Office of Community Oriented Policing 

Services, “2014 COPS Hiring Program Awards,” n.d., http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/2014AwardDocs/CHP/CHP- 2014-Announcement-9-24-14.pdf (last accessed July 2015); BJA Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, “2014 COPS Anti-Methamphetamine Program Awards,” n.d., 

http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/2014AwardDocs/CAMP/CAMP_2014_Announcement_List.pdf (last accessed July 2015); BJA, “FY14 SCAPP Awards”, n.d., https://www.bja.gov/Funding/14SCAAPawards.pdf (last accessed July 2015); BJA FY 14 Second Chance Act program funding, http://grants.ojp.usdoj.gov:85/selector/office?po=BJA&fiscalYear=2014&defaultYear=Y (Multiple grants).