For years, under Republican and Democratic administrations alike, the federal government has allowed state and local officials to endanger public safety by providing illegal alien criminals with safe havens. In this issue of The Social Contract we are proud to feature a special report by Dave Gibson on “America’s ‘Sanctuary Cities’ and Their Tragic Consequences.”
The Apsan Law Offices, LLC, a practice specializing in immigration law licensed in 50 states, provides a succinct definition of what constitutes a Sanctuary city or county: Sanctuary is the name given to a jurisdiction in the United States that “follows certain procedures that shelters illegal immigrants. These procedures can be by law (de jure) or they can be by action (de facto). The term is most used for cities that do not permit municipal funds or resources to be applied in furtherance of enforcement of federal immigration laws. These cities normally do not permit police or municipal employees to inquire about one’s immigration status.” [www.Apsanlaw.com]
As Mr. Gibson details in his report, nearly 3,000 municipalities and counties across the U.S. protect criminal aliens. Among those is the District of Columbia, our nation’s capital, where then Mayor Vincent Gray signed an executive order barring D.C. police officers from questioning anyone that they encounter in the course of their work about that person’s immigration status.
From the security of Washington, D.C., hardened criminals prey on the citizens of the surrounding states of Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, with their networks stretching all across the U.S. As Corey Stewart, chairman of the Prince William County, Virginia, Board of Supervisors, said at the time Mayor Gray issued the Sanctuary order (October 2011):
This is an abomination. This is the capital of the United States, and to have the nation’s capital as a sanctuary city where essentially federal law is not going to be enforced sends all the wrong messages—not just in the United States but around the world.
The fact that Washington, D.C. is ultimately under the control of Congress and the federal government, and that neither Congress nor the White House have overturned the D.C. municipal government’s sanctuary directives, tells you all you need to know about the extent of political pandering that infects public policies.
Please read this report and share it with your neighbors and especially those who are running for public office. Demand that all of America becomes a sanctuary for law-abiding citizens and lawful visitors.