Since Jeff Sessions was announced as president-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Attorney General, many have begun looking to the Alabama Republican for a glimpse of the sweeping changes that may come beginning in 2017.
As the likely soon-to-be leader of the nation’s top law enforcement agency, Sessions will have a platform to act on several pressing issues that he has long worked to draw attention toward. From immigration to terrorism, we now look to items that the he has addressed throughout his career and while on the campaign trail for Donald Trump.
Here are three key actions to watch for upon the completion of Jeff Sessions expected confirmation as Attorney General:
A dramatically shifted focus at the Justice Department
Expect Sessions to lead an effort that will more effectively identify and seek to remove those with ties to terrorism. The key could lie in a thorough probe of the United States’ immigration system.
For those who follow Sessions, this will not come as a surprise. Under President Barack Obama, the Alabama Senator has blasted of a lack of urgency shown toward the need to end threats of terrorism within the United States.
In a 2015 letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, and Secretary of State John Kerry, Sessions urged each department to initiate a coordinated review of immigration records that could link to evidence of terroristic attempts. Though the Obama Administration failed to yield in such information, it’s apparent that Sessions’ focus on national security will likely result in more thorough data that could expose links between a broken immigration system and threats of terrorism.
A prosecution of sanctuary cities
In 2010, the Obama Administration announced that so-called “sanctuary cities” would not face scrutiny under the law. At the time, they claimed that such self-declared cities were not as bad as states that interfere with the enforcement of the law. It’s a claim that was not well-received by Senator Sessions.
The Alabama Senator has attempted to hold President Obama and then-Attorney General Eric Holder accountable over the policy. As the Attorney General, he will have a chance to take action against cities like New York, San Francisco, Chicago, and Los Angeles. This could happen in a couple of ways.
Sessions is expected confront cities that insist on remaining as havens for illegal immigrants. Likewise, he has called on the President to “cut off law enforcement funds to any jurisdiction that violates this responsibility to ensure the deportation of criminal aliens.” As the nation’s top law-enforcer, watch for Sessions to fight so that sanctuary cities do not receive federal dollars.
A more thorough investigation of Hillary Clinton’s emails
Senator Jeff Sessions has sounded an alarm against potentially illegal activities committed by Hillary Clinton, which were revealed throughout investigations into her privately-housed emails. According to him, the former Secretary of State’s actions must be held accountable.
In August, Senator Sessions remarked during a CNN interview Hillary’s emails suggested that foreign governments and wealthy individuals believed they could gain access to the State Department by making donations to the Clinton Foundation. In his eyes, it signaled a clear abuse of power.
“The fundamental thing is you cannot be Secretary of State of the United States of America and use that position to extort or seek contributions to your private foundation,” Sessions said at the time. “That is a fundamental violation of law and that does appear to have happened here.”
Senator Sessions has built a firm reputation on his desire to uphold the law. It could be assumed that, as the U.S. Attorney General, he will apply the same thoughtful dedication toward Hillary Clinton’s scandals.
