Attorney general announces round of lawsuits to confront resistance of 'sanctuary cities'

Speaking at an annual gathering of sheriffs in Washington, Barr put politicians on watch and announced a trio of lawsuits aimed at laws that he said were putting the safety of undocumented immigrants ahead of law-abiding citizens.

In Washington state, the Justice Department sued to block a policy that blocks the Department of Homeland Security from deporting undocumented immigrants out of a Seattle airport.

In New Jersey, prosecutors alleged that practices preventing information sharing between local law enforcement and immigration officials are unlawful.

And in California, Justice Department attorneys pushed back against a new state law that prohibits the use of private detention facilities, which are used by the Department of Homeland Security to house undocumented immigrants.

"Today is a significant escalation in the federal government's efforts to confront the resistance of 'sanctuary cities,' " Barr said. "We will consider taking action against any jurisdiction that, or any politician who, unlawfully obstructs the federal enforcement of immigration law."

This is a breaking story and will be updated.