Sanctuary Cities

[woodchip]

So San Fran sees the result of its mothers apron strings policy of being a sanctuary city. My question is, it legal for a city to ignore federal law and not notify federal agents when they knowingly have a illegal in custody and turn him loose? If it is, does that mean a city can declare itself a deportation city and go out of its way to notify the feds when they encounter a illegal?

[callmeslick]

fair questions, actually. I just was listening to a discussion about the matter on the way home from the food stores(ah, the glamour). They were saying the issue for the locals is that the Federal directive(not the same as a law, per se) was not limited, and if the cities turned in every person with a minor issue it would alienate the relationship of city and citizenry. Most locales that declare 'sanctuary' status still turn over multiple felons or even one-time violent felons, so something went awry in San Fran. Once again, it points to what you get with a morass of immigration laws, rulings, directives and orders, at every level from Fed to local, and virtually all infrastructure and enforcement is underfunded.

[Ferno]

This seems like a good set of questions for an immigration attorrney, way out of my scope of understanding.

[Tunnelcat]

A little background on federal immigration detainers. SF is not the only city refusing to honor immigration detainer rules either.

http://immigrationpolicy.org/perspectiv ... -detainers

[callmeslick]

I note that the family of the slain woman is pissed off that right-wing loons are using her death as a political football.

Plus, a pic worth reposting:

[Ferno]

yes, it's kind of hard for a person to take a job when the guy who controls it gives it to someone else.

[callmeslick]

as someone put it the other day, we don't HAVE an illegal immigration problem, we have an illegal HIRING problem.

[Ferno]

made much easier with the H1B visa debacle.