Attorney General Jeff Sessions says the Justice Department will send more federal prosecutors to Chicago to focus on ending gun violence in the city.
Sessions said in a statement that the prosecutors will "prioritize prosecutions to reduce gun violence," and that federal officials will work alongside local law enforcement to "stop the lawlessness."
His statement comes as officials announce a new collaboration to stem the flow of illegal guns into Chicago.
President Donald Trump tweeted Friday that Chicago crime is at "epidemic proportions."
Sessions is also blaming spikes in violence on so-called sanctuary city policies. He says the Trump administration will work to ensure local jurisdictions cooperate with federal immigration authorities "and protect our citizens, rather than protecting the criminal illegal aliens who prey upon them."
