Right Aims Its Wrath at Sanctuary Cities
As the U.S. Justice Department preps for a federal case against Arizona’s controversial SB 1070 anti-immigrant law, many supporters of the bill are accusing the federal government of intentionally overlooking the more than 40 “sanctuary cities” that have popped up around the country.
“Sanctuary cities” — locales including Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and New York City that do not deport undocumented immigrants — explicitly refuse to inquire about one’s immigration status or report immigration issues to federal authorities. –JCL
Los Angeles Times:
Critics of the Obama administration’s decision to sue Arizona over its new law to control illegal immigration accuse the government of overlooking a more obvious target: the dozens of cities that called themselves a “sanctuary” for immigrants.
“Everyone has noticed the hypocrisy of the government going after Arizona and ignoring the sanctuary cities,” said Bob Dane, a spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform. “They have it exactly backwards. Arizona is applying federal law, and sanctuary cities are violating it.”
Justice Department lawyers on Thursday asked a judge in Phoenix to block Arizona’s law from going into effect on the grounds it interferes with federal immigration policy. The law is due to take effect in the coming week.