Dr. Martin Luther King's Letter From The Birmingham Jail

On January 20, 2017, Donald J. Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. The administration immediately fulfilled several promises that were made during the campaign, including the reduction of illegal immigration into the U.S. and the cutting of federal funding to self-proclaimed, “sanctuary cities.” Across America, protestors gathered to oppose the new administration and the policies for which it stands, demanding that immigrants searching for a better life be welcomed and protected, rather than apprehended and deported. America stands divided on this issue, debating if it is appropriate to defy government policies on the basis of personal belief, or whether such civil disobedience is a burden to society and wholly improper.

Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote his letter from the Birmingham Jail following his imprisonment for participating in a non-violent anti-segregation march. As a civil rights leader, King believed in orderly demonstration and non-violent protest. However, King was still defying the law, and was punished for his actions. Similar outcomes resulted years earlier when Henry David Thoreau opposed government by refusing to pay taxes, as well as when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama bus. At the time King wrote his letter, America was deeply divided, much like today. While some supported segregation, many, including King, believed the elimination of racial discrimination and exclusion was long overdue. Dr. King saw people treated as if they were not Americans, and was prompted to write that “anyone who lives in the United States can never be considered an outsider” (King). Dr. King’s words could be used to defend the ethicality of sanctuary cities, which protect illegal immigrants from arrest and deportation. The difference, however, between the situation faced today and that of the early 1960s, is that African-Americans were legal citizens and were not breaking the law by living in the United

The mayors, who promise to abide by the laws of their states, blatantly fail to fulfil their entrusted duties when they ignore the rules of holding office and provide safe-havens for those who should never have been permitted to enter the United States. The interests of the American people are being ignored by leaders lacking the discipline and morality to fulfill their responsibilities. Elected officials who swear to protect and provide for “all residents regardless of race, ethnicity, immigration status, [and] criminal record” are misguided (Ruthart and Dardick). Investor’s Business Daily reports that “these cities aren’t enhancing the ‘security of our cities’ by letting criminals roam free. Nor are they creating good citizens by showing them it’s acceptable…to break the law” (“Trump's Right: Law Breaking…). For one to faithfully defend his or her country from threats of injustice and inequality, the economic impact and the danger to safety posed by illegal immigrants must be equally