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Baltimore Could Get Federal Public Safety Dollars After Sanctury City Dispute

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BALTIMORE (AP) - U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions says he'll reconsider Baltimore's request for federal public safety dollars after being asked by Sen. Chris Van Hollen.

The Baltimore Sun reports that Sessions said Wednesday at a U.S. Senate panel hearing that he would be glad to look at ways to help Baltimore qualify for a federal anti-crime grant program.

The Trump administration has withheld federal dollars from so-called sanctuary cities, broadly defined as places that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Baltimore hasn't formally declared itself a sanctuary city but the Department of Justice has told the city that its jails must cooperate with immigration officials in order to receive federal funds.

Van Hollen, a Democrat, noted that Baltimore has a violent crime problem but does not have jurisdiction over state-run jails.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.