Gen. Jeff Sessions going to the White House to announce the continuation of an Obama administration policy related to immigration would have been unthinkable months ago. “Countless Americans would be alive today and countless loved ones would not be grieving today if these policies of sanctuary cities were ended,” Sessions said. His statement was the most visible sign of how the White House hopes to regain its footing after the collapse of its healthcare bill — returning to the types of largely symbolic gestures on campaign promises that were a staple of its early weeks. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer only tentatively stood by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin’s previously stated August target date for legislation. “Their gun-to-the-head method to force resistant cities and counties to participate in Trump’s inhumane and counterproductive mass deportation is unconstitutional and will fail.”michael.memoli@latimes.comFor more White House coverage, follow @mikememoli on Twitter.

Source: Los Angeles Times March 27, 2017 23:48 UTC