CHICAGO — Mayor Rahm Emanuel sued the Justice Department on Monday over President Trump’s threat to cut off federal grants for so-called sanctuary cities like Chicago, calling it an attack against public safety and the city’s conscience.
Hours later, Attorney General Jeff Sessions struck back, describing street violence in Chicago as horrific and saying that “no amount of federal taxpayer dollars will help a city that refuses to help its own residents.”
The pointed exchange was an escalation in the struggle over federal funding and sanctuary cities, but also in a continuing back-and-forth between the White House and Chicago over the city’s endemic gun and gang violence.
“Chicago will not let our police officers become political pawns in a debate,” said Mr. Emanuel, a Democrat, whose city received $2.3 million in law enforcement grants last year from the program that is now at risk.
