Tuesday, August 18, 2009

SanFran “sanctuary city” policy revisited

Since 1989, San Francisco has deemed itself as a “sanctuary city” for undocumented immigrants. The designation carries little legal weight yet it has been a source of indignation by anti-immigrant groups, right-wing commentators, and others. Their anger will likely to be reignited when the city’s reexamines the immigration policy this week.

Mayor Gavin Newsom has come under fire over the “sanctuary city” status yet he received additional heat last year when he partially changed the policy. (He permitted illegal immigrant minors suspected of convicted of a felony to be taken to immigration authorities including possible deportation). Yet a new bill introduced to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors would make it harder for convicted undocumented youths to be handed to immigration agents.

The “sanctuary city” policy came under increased scrutiny last year over a crime committed by an undocumented immigrant accused of murder that was allegedly”shielded” from deportation. Yet according to one of the backers of the new measure- Supervisor David Campos- the bill is a needed compromise:
(…) Campos, along with a majority of supervisors, said the stricter policy is too reactionary. The new law would find a middle ground by establishing guilt before being reported, he said.

“This is about letting a court decide whether or not to report a juvenile to ICE,” said Campos, a Guatemalan immigrant. “If you’re reporting them right away, you’re essentially being judge and jury to that child.”
Image- National Geographic
Online Sources- San Francisco Examiner, The Latin Americanist, Time, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Examiner, Mercury News

2 comments:

Brittanicus said...

Without any restraints ICE needs an army of interior inspectors to move into San Francisco and Los Angeles and every other--SANCTUARY STATE AND CITY. Begin lightening raids on predatory businesses and apprehending all illegal immigrants in the workplace. NO WRIST SLAPS, as business owners be severely fined, asset confiscation and go to jail. All illegal immigrant criminals should be detained and held for deportation. Anybody caught returning should receive a mandatory prison sentence of ten years. The 1986 immigration enforcement bill is not broken, but was never enforced. The law from the beginning was corrupted and fraudulently used. Enactment had provisions to go after pariah businesses and has never been implemented to the full extent of the law. Learn the naked truth, not lies at NUMBERSUSA Call your Senator and Representative at 202-224-3121. SAY NO TO AMNESTY. YES TO E-VERIFY TO REMOVE ILLEGALS FROM BUSINESSES. ICE IS WAITING FOR YOU TO CONTACT THEM ON ILLEGAL ACTIVITY.

Anonymous said...

I just returned from LA yesterday. I am going to stop vacationing in these cities while they continue to defy federal law. They are not going to get any more of my money. Let the illegal immigrants fund them instead.