Crime

Sessions Might've Used An Inaccurate Crime Stat For 'Sanctuary Cities'

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said sanctuary cities have higher rates of violent crime than other cities. But that's not true.

Sessions Might've Used An Inaccurate Crime Stat For 'Sanctuary Cities'
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Article by Lindsey Pulse
SMS
July 14, 2017

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions may have used inaccurate crime figures to make a point about "sanctuary cities."

Sessions gave a speech in Las Vegas on Wednesday. In it, he claimed sanctuary cities have more violent crime than non-sanctuary cities. That's not true.

Sessions cited information that came from the University of California, Riverside — but the researchers behind the study say Sessions' claims didn't accurately reflect the findings.

Instead, the team says Sessions' speech may have been based off of an "inaccurate characterization" from Fox News, or a story from World Net Daily they say warped and republished the findings.

The study in question found no discernible difference in the rates of violent crime or property crime in cities that shield people living in the country illegally, compared to those that don't.

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Sessions' take on the issue might not come as a surprise. The Trump administration has largely taken a critical stance toward sanctuary cities.

In January, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that would take away federal funding from the cities, but a federal judge blocked that order.

In response to the block, Sessions said the "Trump era" would "be the Administration that fully enforces our nation's immigration laws."