Congress Cracks Down on Sanctuary Cities

Last week the United States House of Representatives passed a bill that would strip federal law enforcement grants from cities upholding so-called "sanctuary policies." These policies provide both de facto and de jure protections for undocumented immigrants within the United States.

Chicago and Cook County are considered sanctuary cities and illegal immigrants within this region are not questioned about their immigration status, nor are they detained for violating Title 8, section 1325 of the US Immigration Code. This is one of many reasons that Chicago has the highest percentage of undocumented immigrants in the state. Further, those who have been detained for other offenses are not further detained for immigration violations once their status has been determined.

"It's a political football, and the House is attempting to counter the Executive Actions President Obama has issued. By stripping federal funding from the state's law enforcement, they are hoping to force the issue," commented Ronald Shapiro, an immigration lawyer in Chicago.

Sanctuary cities have existed in the United States since the late 1970's when Los Angeles became the first. Over time, the policy of not requesting documentation, nor detaining those who fail to provide it, has spread across the country and today there are more than 300 cities and counties that hold this designation.

"As an immigration lawyer in Chicago, I'm not surprised the House passed this bill given the large conservative majority. However, the Senate is unlikely to pass it. Even if they do, it will be by a slim margin and there's no question that President Obama won't sign the legislation into law. So, when the bill goes back to Congress for the all important 2/3 vote, they won't have the votes to override the president's veto," observed Shapiro.

This is an attempt by congress to keep immigration front and center for the 2016 elections. Thus, while they will rattle their sabers by threatening to cut off federal funds for law enforcement, they don't have the legislative support, nor do they have the public support, to enact any significant changes to the existing policies within sanctuary cities.

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