States Split Over Trump's Sanctuary City Order

The threat to withhold federal funding from cities and communities with sanctuary policies illustrate the current divide among our nation’s people, particularly when it comes to immigration. While there is no set definition of a sanctuary city or community, a sanctuary policy generally prevents police officers from asking about an individual’s immigration status and/or declining to keep those individuals in custody whom federal immigration officials are seeking to detain and deport. The first sanctuary policy in the nation was issued by the state of Oregon in order to protect migrant workers and their families. California has taken a hardline stance on the issue, due in large part to the estimated 2.3 million immigrants residing in the state without a legal immigration status. San Francisco sued Trump over his attack on sanctuary policies; meanwhile, the California legislature introduced measures to provide funds for legal assistance for immigrants facing removal and to combat any attempt by the federal government to create a Muslim registry. On the other end of the spectrum, the Republican governor of Texas has praised the Trump stance on sanctuary policies as a means of securing the border, and has mandated the development of a bill that punishes local governments who fail to cooperate with federal immigration authorities as requested. The Travis County Sheriff, however, announced her intent to decline all requests for holds on individuals by immigration authorities, aside from those individuals accused of murder, aggravated sexual assault, and human trafficking. The Texas governor’s response was to put a halt to $1.5 million in criminal justice grants to the county. Sanctuary cities exist in communities that wish to protect the rights of immigrants who have no legal status, but who are living in the U.S. With the Trump administration in place, however, the future of these sanctuary cities is uncertain. Ultimately, however, any undocumented immigrant remains at risk for deportation if detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, whether he or she resides in a sanctuary city or not. At Landerholm Immigration, A.P.C., your skilled and knowledgeable immigration lawyers have the experience necessary to successfully defend you against removal. Our Bay Area immigration lawyers handle these types of cases on a daily basis and know how to best represent your interests so that you can remain in the U.S. with your family. Contact our office right away so that we can get started building a defense to removal on your behalf.