Understanding Sanctuary Cities

Shortly before my mother passed away, she and I were talking about sanctuary cities.  She had lived the last decade or so of her life on a steady diet of Fox News, and so when I asked her to tell me what the term actually meant, she regurgitated what she had been told, i.e., it’s a place where an illegal immigrant who has committed a crime can go and hide without fear that the police can follow and arrest them.

In fact, sanctuary cities are those that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Police typically do not ask about immigration status, refuse to honor federal detainer requests for non-serious offenses, and do not allow local resources to be used for immigration enforcement. 

This is not about liberalism or compassion; it’s about common sense and effective policing.  The belief here, and it’s proven to be true, is that if undocumented immigrants trust law enforcement personnel, they can be instrumental in helping the police solve crimes, by providing vital information as witnesses.