(Im)migration Movements & the Law

Our fourth episode of “What You Need to Know on Immigration” covers so-called “sanctuary cities” and their place in the politics of immigration. BPC’s Theresa Brown and Jordan LaPier cover what exactly a sanctuary city is; the relationship between state, local, and federal law enforcement on immigration; and legal challenges to sanctuary cities (such as the high-profile “Kate’s Law”... Source

In the 1980s, the United States experienced a refugee crisis. Thousands of Central Americans were fleeing civil wars in El Salvador and Guatemala, traveling north through Mexico, and crossing the border into the U.S. [Note: Just tuning in? Listen to … Continue reading →

In the 1980s, Rev. John Fife and his congregation at Southside Presbyterian Church began to help Central American migrants fleeing persecution from US backed dictatorships. Their efforts would mark the beginning of a new — and controversial — social movement … Continue reading →

"The term 'sanctuary city' gained a new level of national recognition during the 2016 United States presidential election, and immigration policies and debates have remained a top issue since the election of Donald Trump. The battle over immigration and deportation will be waged on many fronts in the coming years, but sanctuary cities - municipalities that resist the national government's efforts to enforce immigration laws - are likely to be on the front lines for the immediate future, and social workers and others in the helping professions have vital roles to play. In this book, Melvin Delgado offers a compelling case for the centrality of sanctuary cities' cause to the very mission and professional identity of social workers and others in the human services and mental health professions. The text also presents a historical perspective on the rise of the sanctuary movements of the 1970s and 2000s, thereby giving context to the current environment and immigration debate. Sanctuary Cities, Communities, and Organizations serves as a helpful resource for human service practitioners, academics, and the general public alike"--Publisher's website.

Sanctuary cities, or localities where officials are prohibited from inquiring into immigration status, have become a part of the broader debate on undocumented immigration in the United States. Despite the increasing amount of coverage sanctuary policies receive, the American public knows little about these policies. In this book, Loren Collingwood and Benjamin Gonzalez O'Brien delve into the history, media coverage, effects, and public opinion on these sanctuary policies in the hope of helping readers reach an informed decision regarding them.

"Just days after taking the White House, Donald Trump signed three executive orders targeting noncitizens-authorizing the Muslim Ban, the border wall, and ICE raids. The new administration's approach towards noncitizens was defined by bans, walls, and raids. This is the essential primer on how we got here, and what we must do to create a different future. Bans, Walls, Raids, Sanctuary shows that these features have a long history and have long harmed all of us and our relationships to each other. The 45th president's xenophobic, racist, ableist, patriarchal ascendancy is no aberration, but the consequence of two centuries of U.S. political, economic, and social culture. Further, as A. Naomi Paik deftly demonstrates, the attacks against migrants are tightly bound to assaults against women, people of color, workers, ill and disabled people, queer and gender non-conforming people. These attacks are neither un-American nor unique. By showing how the problems we face today are embedded in the very foundation of the US, this book is a rallying cry for a broad-based, abolitionist sanctuary movement for all"--

What is a sanctuary city? We answer with an example that explains what immigration detainers are and why we should call them "constitutional cities".

Here are answers to common questions churches have when considering whether to provide sanctuary, but it is not legal advice and does not substitute for consultation with an attorney.

Updated 10/4/22: Map and list of sanctuary cities, counties, and state that are obstructing federal immigration enforcement.

The concept of “sanctuary” congregations has many definitions and applications. In the 1980s, Reform Movement congregations provided sanctuary primarily to central Americans at risk of deportation. As the Union for Reform Judaism stated in a 1985 resolution:

Proponents say sanctuary citites encourage better police relations. Opponents say the cities harbor criminals.

A growing movement of immigrant and over 700 faith communities doing what Congress and the Administration refuse to do: protect and stand with immigrants facing deportation.

One way people of faith and conscience can help provide sanctuary is by working partners in cities, counties, school districts and other local governmen...

Sanctuary policies do not conceal or shelter unauthorized immigrants from detection. Here's what you need to know about these policies.

Background on so-called sanctuary policies and answers to frequently asked questions (FAQ) on federal, state and local action on immigration enforcement.

Ballotpedia: The Encyclopedia of American Politics

Naomi Tsu, an attorney at the Southern Poverty Law Center, answers questions about sanctuary cities.

The Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced Thursday the conclusion of a week-long targeted enforcement operation that resulted in the apprehension of more than 170 at-large aliens throughout the U.S., where sanctuary policies have largely prohibited the cooperation of law enforcement agencies in the arrest of criminal aliens.

It's already illegal under state law, but Republicans in the Arizona Legislature want voters enshrine to a ban on "sanctuary city'' policies in the state Constitution.

A look back at the leaders and laws that have shaped Chicago's involvement with the sanctuary movement since 1982.

The arrests were made in Seattle, Denver, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C., from October 3-9.

The latest sanctuary cities news from The Texas Tribune.

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Voters in one of Arizona's most liberal cities rejected an initiative Tuesday that would have made Tucson the state's only sanctuary city amid concerns that it went too far in restricting police officers...

What is a sanctuary city? And can Trump really defund them? Here's a look at what the term means and its implications in immigration policy under Trump.

This report - Federal Funding of America’s Sanctuary Cites - quantified federal funding (FY2016) to the agencies and entities of America’s 106 Sanctuary Cities.

On January 27, 2017, Executive Order 13769 went into effect, banning foreign nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United

Amidst looming threats of mass deportation from the incoming administration, what is the role of local governments and local law enforcement?

Sanctuary city refers to municipal jurisdictions, typically in North America, that limit their cooperation with the national government's effort to enforce immigration law. Leaders of sanctuary cities say they want to reduce fear of deportation and possible family break-up among people who are in the country illegally, so that such people will be more willing to report crimes, use health and social services, and enroll their children in school. In the United States, municipal policies include prohibiting police or city employees from questioning people about their immigration status and refusing requests by national immigration authorities to detain people beyond their release date, if they were jailed for breaking local law.[1] Such policies can be set expressly in law (de jure) or observed in practice (de facto), but the designation "sanctuary city" does not have a precise legal definition. The Federation for American Immigration Reform estimated in 2018 that 564 U.S. jurisdictions, including states and municipalities, had adopted sanctuary policies.[2][3][4]