Democratic Mayors Blast Trump, Decline White House Invite
New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and other mayors who had been invited to the White House on Wednesday declined the invitation because of a Justice Department crackdown on so-called sanctuary cities.
On Wednesday, the Justice Department escalated their fight against 23 so-called sanctuary cities, sending letters asking for greater compliance with federal immigration law.
Landrieu told reporters in Washington that he would not go to the meeting under “false pretenses,” complaining that the meeting is supposed to focus on infrastructure but that the Justice Department’s sanctuary cities move changed the equation.
“An attack on one of our cities’ mayors who is following the Constitution is an attack on all of us. I will not be attending that meeting,” he said.
New York City’s de Blasio also tweeted that he would not attend.
