Across the United States, a number of cities, counties, and states have instituted policies aimed at curtailing involvement with immigration officials tasked with detaining and deporting unauthorized immigrants. Cities such as New York explicitly forbid utilizing municipal resources, from transportation to personnel, for the purposes of immigration enforcement.
Around a dozen states and a multitude of cities within the U.S view themselves as ‘sanctuaries’ for unauthorized immigrants. However, the absence of a consistent definition of what constitutes a ‘sanctuary’ jurisdiction results in varied interpretations. At a basic level, ‘sanctuary’ often refers to locales that have set boundaries on their willingness to aid federal agencies in implementing deportation actions against unauthorized immigrants.
Historically, the concept of sanctuary policies emerged in the 1980s. This stemmed from churches providing a haven for those who were escaping the civil war tearing apart El Salvador. This protective practice has become increasingly relevant over the past ten years, with the importance of immigration issues steadily rising in the eyes of the voter demographic.
Throughout the first term of Donald J. Trump’s presidency, a number of jurisdictions led by Democrats reaffirmed or strengthened their sanctuary status. However, the table has turned more recently, as a number of Democratic-led cities have become inundated with recently-arrived immigrants.
Many of these new arrivals were transported there from the nation’s southern border region under the direction of Texas Governor Greg Abbott. This influx has caused these cities’ sanctuary policies to come under fire, faced with opposition from both established critics and leaders who were once supporters of sanctuary jurisdictions.
Amid these circumstances, President Trump and his supporters have pledged to adopt a stringent stance on immigration. High-ranking officials within his administration have signified that cities known for embracing sanctuary policies may be in the crosshairs in future enforcement proceedings.
In an interview, Thomas D. Homan, appointed by Mr. Trump as the new ‘border czar’, confidently asserted, ‘Sanctuary jurisdictions won’t be a deterrent to our set plan.’ This unequivocal statement shed light on the continuous friction and debates surrounding the effectiveness and future of sanctuary policies.