Democratic Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Sunday assured illegal immigrants that they're part of "the Chicago family" in a sanctuary city where the police will "not violate" their trust.
In an interview on CNN's "State of the Union," the onetime White House chief of staff for former President Barack Obama said the courts will ultimately decide if the administration of President Donald Trump can withhold funding from sanctuary cities that don't cooperate with federal immigration officials.
"The kids who go to our schools, the Dreamers… and their families are frightened, and it's incumbent as a city, whether you're from Ireland or India, Poland or Pakistan, Mexico or Moldova, where my grandfather came from, those children are part of the Chicago family," he said.
"If you believe that tomorrow can be better than today, you are welcome here, and I want those families to know and their children to know that if you believe in America and you believe in tomorrow, which is what we always believe here, you are welcome," he added.
Emanuel asserted police enforcement relied on the trust of the community.
"Our police department, if we were to ever be subject of some sense of scrutiny by the community, they won't come forward," he said. "Your safety on the streets is built on relationships between community and police and a level of trust. And if you violate that trust, you violate the ability to accomplish what you want."
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