Pros And Cons Of Sanctuary Cities

Turn on any national news channel today and there will undoubtedly be reporting regarding illegal immigration, border protection and sanctuary cities. All are hot-button, current event issues in the United States, and both citizens and non-citizens alike are sharply divided as to how to address and solve this nation-wide problem. The concepts of sanctuary cities and sanctuary states are relatively new in modern American nomenclature. While different organizations have slightly different definitions for these terms, the consensus is that sanctuary cities and sanctuary states are locales which have declared that illegal, undocumented people who commit minor crimes will not be turned over to U.S. Immigrations and Customs (I.C.E.) agents upon arrest or capture. While most advocates for sanctuary policies claim that only illegals who do not pose a threat to society are protected from I.C.E., and in turn from deportation, history has shown this is not always the case. While there are approximately 27 states with cities and/or counties classified as “sanctuary,” there are six states considered sanctuaries in their entirety. These include California, Illinois, New Mexico, Oregon and Vermont. Of these six states, both New Mexico and California share

The lawsuit claims that the statutes “reflect a deliberate effort by California to obstruct the United States’ enforcement of federal immigration law.” It also says the laws regulate private entities that want to cooperate with the federal authorities and “impede consultation and communication between federal and state law enforcement