'Show up to court with a toothbrush': ICE says sanctuary city officials should expect jail time if they ignore subpoenas

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is prepared to go to court with two "sanctuary cities," New York City, New York, and Denver, Colorado, if they fail to provide personal information on illegal immigrants with criminal records released in each city instead of being transferred to ICE.

“We expect them to comply" with subpoenas for the information, said acting ICE Director Matt Albence at a press conference in Washington on Thursday. "If they don’t comply, we’ll be working with DOJ to go to district court to force them to comply with the requirements,” Albence said, noting the rule in the U.S. Code that he said justified the move. “The individuals that fail to comply can be held in contempt," he said. "They can show up to court with a toothbrush because they might not be going home that night. Because they could be jailed for failure to comply with a lawful order from a judge. That’s the route we’re going.”

ICE looks at local arrests to see if a person is illegally in the country. If they appear to be an illegal immigrant, the officer can request that the local law enforcement agency notify ICE before they are released so that ICE can take custody and begin deportation proceedings. Sanctuary zones release illegal immigrants, including those with criminal convictions, after they make bail or serve time in jail without notifying ICE.

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