New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio told CNN's Alisyn Camerota on Thursday that New York City will harbor illegal immigrants who commit low level crimes.
Camerota said that there are some sanctuary cities who have said that they won't cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) even if the people in their jails are undocumented. She then asked de Blasio why they shouldn't be handed over to ICE.
"Another misunderstanding about the so-called sanctuary cities. Here's a list right here of 170 offenses that if someone is undocumented and commit this offense, we will work with ICE and they will be deported," de Blasio said.
Camerota asked whether these were low-level crimes.
"No, these are serious crimes. These are serious crimes, violent crimes, even possession of a weapon, for example, of any kind, 170 offenses that if an undocumented person commits, that triggers by New York City law, cooperation with ICE for deportation," de Blasio said.
Camerota then asked de Blasio to be more specific about the low level crimes.
"There are very low level crimes, for example, small amounts of marijuana possession, going through a stoplight when it doesn't cause any damage to anyone," de Blasio said. "Those are areas where we will not work to see someone deported."
President Trump shed a spotlight on sanctuary cities and the loopholes that they have created for illegal immigrants during his candidacy for president last year. Mayors in some of the largest sanctuary cities across the United States are not happy with Trump's crackdown on sanctuary cities, NBC reported.
"We will not be intimidated by the threat to federal funding," Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said at a press conference Wednesday flanked by immigrant city workers.
"I want everyone to just get a picture of those behind me today," he said. "This is America who's behind me: the many immigrants who work for the city of Boston and the many first generation Americans who work for the city of Boston."
Walsh spoke out after Trump signed an executive order earlier Wednesday eliminating most federal funding for cities with sanctuary policies in place.
Trump's executive order, titled "Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States," would make communities that do not fully comply with federal immigration enforcement agencies, ineligible "to receive Federal grants, except as deemed necessary for law enforcement purposed by the Attorney General or the Secretary [of Homeland Security]."