Sanctuary Policies
Since the 1980s, cities have adopted various “sanctuary policies” setting out when and in what circumstances local officials participate in federal immigration enforcement. In recent years, however, these policies have come under unprecedented attack. As the federal government has become more dependent on local participation, federal policies have begun targeting local jurisdictions that withhold their cooperation. At the same time, states are passing laws that outright ban local sanctuary policies, with some going further to mandate local involvement in immigration enforcement efforts directly.
Eight states have adopted anti-sanctuary legislation in the last three years. Anti-sanctuary bills have been introduced in at least eighteen other states. Moreover, because of the extensive power that states have traditionally exercised over their localities, these state laws are broader, more coercive, and more punitive than those that have been pursued at the federal level.
Speaker: Rick Su