Jeff Sessions Visits Portland, A Sanctuary City, To Argue Against Sanctuary Cities, Met By Protests

PORTLAND, OR — Dozens of protesters greeted United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions as he traveled to the heart of the sanctuary movement on Tuesday to highlight the administration's efforts against sanctuary cities. Sessions is speaking at the Portland field office of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Sessions — who has spearheaded the Trump administration's efforts to fight sanctuary cities — is meeting with local law enforcement officials, including the head of the Portland Police Association, the union representing officers. He will also meet with United States Attorney for Oregon Billy Williams and his staff.

One person he won't be meeting with? Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, who released a statement saying he won't meet with Sessions. Instead, he sent him a letter.

"In Portland, we do not merely tolerate diversity, we celebrate it," Wheeler wrote. "Our local laws support these values and we are better for it."

Sessions' efforts to deny federal money to sanctuary cities was dealt a setback last week in federal court in Chicago when a judge ruled he couldn't do that.

Sessions had said that for cities to receive grant money, they would need to impose new restrictions, including notifying immigration agents when someone in the country illegally was about to be released from jail.

The judge, siding with Chicago, which was challenging the new requirements, said that the city had a "likelihood of success" in arguing that Sessions had overstepped his bounds.

"This state of lawlessness allows gangs to smuggle guns, drugs and even humans across borders and around cities and communities," Sessions said last month in Miami. "Sanctuary jurisdictions provide safe harbor for some of the most dangerous criminals in our country."

Wheeler pointed out to Sessions that the city has joined with Seattle in filing a suit similar to Chicago's.

In coming to Oregon, Sessions is visiting one of the first jurisdictions to pass sanctuary-type laws. Oregon has had them on the books for 30 years.

"Portland is a thriving city because we have a population with diverse backgrounds who contribute positive to the fabric of the community," Wheeler wrote.

The mayor also expressed hope that the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals will be continued and told Sessions that he hopes the Justice Department does not "prematurely" end the settlement agreement it reached with Portland over the city's police department.

"The Portland Police Bureau has become a resource for law enforcement agencies across the country who want to learn how to make improvements in their own organizations on issues related to mental health," Wheeler wrote.

"We ask that you allow DOJ attorneys to continue with our city attorneys."

File photo of Jeff Sessions via Zach Gibson/ Stringer/Getty Images News/Getty Images