Issue 213

Sanctuary Policies Are against Federal Law

“Sanctuary policies” are policies some American cities have adopted forbidding employees — including police — from reporting violations of U.S. immigration law to authorities. They are illegal.

“Notwithstanding any other provision of Federal, State, or local law, a Federal, State, or local government entity or official may not prohibit, or in any way restrict, any government entity or official from sending to, or receiving from, the Immigration and Naturalization Service information regarding the citizenship or immigration status, lawful or unlawful, of any individual.”

Sec. 642(a) of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996

In the last Congress, Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado brought three amendments to a vote on the House floor that would have prohibited certain law enforcement funding to states or localities that have sanctuary policies for illegal aliens in place.

Even though the overwhelming majority of Americans oppose them, and even though the policies are illegal, Congress voted Rep. Tancredo’s amendments down all three times.

Americans Oppose Sanctuary Policies Overwhelmingly

A 2003 RoperASW Poll found that 88 percent of Americans agree and 68 percent strongly agree that Congress should pass a law requiring state and local government agencies to notify both the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and their local law enforcement agency when they determine that a person is here illegally, or has presented a false identification document.

Just whose democracy is this, anyway?

The Wall Street Journal’s? The New York Times’? The one tenth of one percent of the population that dumps the lion’s share of money on political campaigns?

Tags:   sanctuary city · TancredoNo Comments