By: Daniel Nardini
New York City passed a new ordinance that will now forbid New York City from cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in regards to the immigration status of those in jail. The move was prompted when ICE had used the information from New York City law enforcement to detain and then deport the undocumented who had either committed misdemeanors or no crime at all except having no legal documents. When the U.S. Department of Homeland Security had started its program of working with state and local law enforcement, the goal of the cooperation between the local, state and federal authorities was to seek the legal status of those who had real criminal records and deport those after they had served their prison time. It was never meant for deporting people with no criminal records. Being undocumented in the United States is a civil offense and not a criminal act. However, since ICE does not seem to be making distinctions New York City is joining a growing number of cities, counties and even states that will not cooperate with federal authorities in regards to providing information on the immigration status of those in jail.
New York City is joining the ranks of what is being called “sanctuary cities” that provide sanctuary to the undocumented and will now not provide information to ICE nor jail people for being undocumented. Other sanctuary cities include Washington, D.C. (minus the federal government), Philadelphia, Chicago, Cicero, Evanston, and hundreds of others all over the country. There are also sanctuary states such as Maine, Oregon and Alaska. Despite the provisions of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 that state no city or state can pass laws that provide “sanctuary” to illegal immigrants, an ever growing number of cities and counties are doing just that because they see federal enforcement as being inconsistent with stated goals. Even now many are finding the words of current head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano stated goal of only arresting incarcerating and deporting violent criminal felons as not credible. And so a growing number of cities are ending any cooperation with ICE over information on a person’s legal status.
Because when you come down to it, cities are having serious enough troubles as it is trying to keep the streets safe and residents protected from crime and the growing problems of the gangs especially in these economically troubling times. They do not want the headache of enforcing immigration law—which is the realm of the federal government—thrown into the stew. Because the federal government cannot get its act together should not mean that city, county and state authorities must now do the job that is delegated to the federal government as stated in the U.S. Constitution.
Immigration Safe Zone
By: Daniel Nardini
New York City is joining the ranks of what is being called “sanctuary cities” that provide sanctuary to the undocumented and will now not provide information to ICE nor jail people for being undocumented. Other sanctuary cities include Washington, D.C. (minus the federal government), Philadelphia, Chicago, Cicero, Evanston, and hundreds of others all over the country. There are also sanctuary states such as Maine, Oregon and Alaska. Despite the provisions of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 that state no city or state can pass laws that provide “sanctuary” to illegal immigrants, an ever growing number of cities and counties are doing just that because they see federal enforcement as being inconsistent with stated goals. Even now many are finding the words of current head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano stated goal of only arresting incarcerating and deporting violent criminal felons as not credible. And so a growing number of cities are ending any cooperation with ICE over information on a person’s legal status.
Because when you come down to it, cities are having serious enough troubles as it is trying to keep the streets safe and residents protected from crime and the growing problems of the gangs especially in these economically troubling times. They do not want the headache of enforcing immigration law—which is the realm of the federal government—thrown into the stew. Because the federal government cannot get its act together should not mean that city, county and state authorities must now do the job that is delegated to the federal government as stated in the U.S. Constitution.