Dean Johnson Quoted on Funding for ‘Sanctuary Cities’ by Sacramento Bee

Dean Kevin R. Johnson is quoted in a Sacramento Bee article on the Trump administration’s threats to cut federal funding for “sanctuary cities” if they don’t prove they are in compliance with federal immigration rules. Dean Johnson said the Justice Department’s recent statements are the latest manifestation of the ongoing conflict between the Trump administration and state and local governments over immigration and other issues.

“I tend to see this as part of a larger PR campaign against sanctuary jurisdictions that are disliked by President Trump and the attorney general,” said Johnson. “It’s part and parcel of the administration’s effort to challenge sanctuary jurisdictions and to try to get them to abandon their policies voluntarily.”

Kevin R. Johnson is Dean and Mabie-Apallas Professor of Public Interest Law and Chicana/o studies at UC Davis School of Law. He is an internationally recognized scholar in the fields of immigration law and policy, refugee law, and civil rights.