Steve Salvi Ohio Jobs & Justice PAC, July 23, 2009
Sanctuary Cities: What Are They?
Despite a 1996 federal law [the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA)] that requires local governments to cooperate with Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), many large urban cities (and some small) have adopted so-called “sanctuary policies.” Generally, sanctuary policies instruct city employees not to notify the federal government of the presence of illegal aliens living in their communities. The policies also end the distinction between legal and illegal immigration—so illegal aliens often benefit from city services too.
A formal sanctuary policy is a written policy that may have been passed by a local government body in the form of a resolution, ordinance, or administrative action—general or special orders, or departmental policies. Formal sanctuary cities are the easiest to identify because they put their sanctuary policies in writing, which become subject to public records requests. {snip}
An informal sanctuary policy is a policy that does not exist on paper but none-the-less is carried out by government workers (administrative, service, or safety). {snip}
A local government’s (e.g., township, village, city, or county) interaction with illegal aliens can evidence an “unwritten” sanctuary policy. {snip}
Statements and actions by public official can indicate a community’s unwritten policy. {snip} News reports can also shed light on a local government unwritten policies.
One justification of creating sanctuary cities is often under the guise of protecting “immigrant rights.” But illegal aliens are not immigrants—immigrants come to the US legally, and maintain their legal presence. When a person is illegally smuggled into the U.S. or violates their visa restrictions—he/she is not an immigrant or visitor, but an illegal alien subject to deportation.
{snip}
List of U.S. Sanctuary Cities*
*Note: Not all listings have been independently confirmed by OJJPAC. If you believe a city should not be listed, please send an email, and OJJPAC will make note of the dispute and attempt to verify. Adjacent dates represent when a city was added to the list, not necessarily when it became (or allegedly became) a sanctuary city. Other notations may indicate the source of information. Cities without a date were added prior to May, 2007. Some sanctuary cities may not have yet been identified and therefore not listed below. You are encouraged to perform additional research regarding the status of your own city. The presence of illegal aliens in a city does not necessarily indicate that a city is a “sanctuary city.”
The sanctuary list was last updated on: 7-23-09
Alaska
Anchorage (6/13/07 Congressional Research Service)
(The city of Fairbanks is under review for removal from the Sanctuary Cities list due to the city council’s passage of a resolution supporting a formal recognition of its cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency. The city of Fairbanks had previously been listed due its designation as a sanctuary city by the Congressional Research Service. The city has disputed its listing. The City’s resolution and a final decision will be posted soon. Fairbanks will likely be removed from the list and then its enforcement statistics will be monitored for compliance. OJJPAC thanks the City of Fairbanks for taking positive steps to clarify its compliance with federal law.
Arizona
Chandler, AZ (Added 5/30/07, Congressional Research Service Report, 2006)
Mesa, AZ (Added 10-18-09, Sources: Judicial Watch; East Valley Tribune article,1-4-2008)*
Phoenix, AZ
Tucson, CA (Added 11-12-07, Source: 11-11-07 story by Brady McCombs, Arizona Daily Star. See note below.)
California
Bell Gardens, CA
City of Industry, CA
City of Commerce, CA
Cypress, CA
Davis CA
Downey, CA
Fresno, CA (6/13/07 Congressional Research Service)
Lakewood, CA
Los Angeles, CA (Congressional Research Service)
Long Beach, CA
Lynwood, CA
Maywood, CA
Montebello, CA
National City, CA
Norwalk, CA
Oakland, CA (Added 8-27-07. Source: 4/25/07 story by KCBS 740 AM. Link here.)
Paramount, CA
Pico Rivera, CA
So. Gate, CA
San Bernardino, Ca. (Added 6/7/07, reader submitted / 9/5/08 Listing disputed by the city administration* See addl.notes)
San Diego, CA (Congressional Research Service)
Santa Cruz, CA (Added 5/30/07, documented by KSBW news)
San Francisco, CA (Congressional Research Service)
San Jose, CA (6/13/07 Congressional Research Service)
Santa Maria, CA (11-18-08 Submitted research from local activist/ Listing disputed by the city administration)
Sonoma County, CA (Congressional Research Service)
Vernon, CA
Watsonville, CA (Added 5/30/07, documented by KSBW news)
Wilmington, CA
Colorado
Aurora, CO
Commerce City, CO
Denver, CO (Congressional Research Service)
Durango, CO (6/13/07 Congressional Research Service)
Federal Heights, CO
Fort Collins, CO
Lafayette, CO (Added 6/3/07, documented by reader)
Thornton, CO
Westminster, CO
Connecticut
New Haven, CT (Added 6/4/07. TV News 8: City council votes 25-1 to issue ID cards to illegal aliens)
Florida
DeLeon Springs, FL
Deltona, FL
Jupiter, FL (Added 4-13-09. Previously on watch list.)
Lake Worth, FL (Added 4-13-09.)
Miami, FL
Georgia
Dalton, GA (Added 5/30/07. 6/18/07 Listing disputed as inaccurate by the City of Dalton, GA. Currently being researched. )
Illinois
Chicago, IL (Congressional Research Service)
Cicero, IL (6/13/07 Congressional Research Service)
Evanston, IL (6/13/07 Congressional Research Service)
Kansas
Wichita (Source: Police department policy exposed after the death of Lola Jayne, KSN TV-3, 12-19-08)
Massachusetts
Cambridge, Mass. (Source: Boston Globe. First passed resolution in 1985)
Chelsea, Mass. (Added: 8-14-07 Source: Chelsea government website with text of sanctuary policy.)
Orleans, Mass. (6/13/07 Congressional Research Service)
Springfield (Disputed)
Maine
Portland (Added 5/31/07 Note: Maine resident reported that Portland city council passed sanctuary legislation)
State of Maine (Added 5/31/07 Note: Governor of Maine initiated de facto protections for illegals by Executive Order in 2004)*
Maryland
Baltimore, MD (Congressional Research Service)
Gaithersburg, MD
Mt. Rainier, MD (Added 1-20-08, Source: The Washington D.C. Examiner, 1-19-08)
Takoma Park, MD (Reported that City ordinance passed some 20 years ago; Congressional Research Service)
Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI (6/13/07 Congressional Research Service)
Detroit, MI (6/13/07 Congressional Research Service)
Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN (Congressional Research Service)
St. Paul, MN
Worthington, MN (Added 5-30-07 Note: This is where a Swift plant was raided by ICE in December, 2006)
Nevada
Reno (Added 5-31-07; 2-18-08 Disputed. City claims it is not a sanctuary city; OJJPAC has requested a copy of city policies.)
New Jersey
Camden, NJ (Added in 2007; latest source: Camden, Immigrant Haven?, By Lauren Feeney, City Paper, 7-16-08)
Fort Lee, NJ
Hightstown, NJ (Added 5-30-07)
Jersey City, NJ
Newark, NJ (Added 6-3-07)
North Bergen, NJ
Trenton, NJ
Union City, NJ
West New York, NJ
New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM (6/13/07 Congressional Research Service; 8-14-07 KOB-TV 4 Eyewitness News report)
Rio Ariba County, NM (6/13/07 Congressional Research Service)
Santa Fe, NM (6/13/07 Congressional Research Service)
New York
Albany, NY (Added 7-22-09 Source: Council adopts don’t ask policy, Times Union report by Jordan Carleo-Evangelist)
Bay Shore, NY
Brentwood, NY
Central Islip, NY
Farmingville, NY
New York City, NY
Riverhead, NY
Shirly/Mastic, NY
Spring Valley Village, NY (Added 7-25-07)
Uniondale, NY
Westbury, NY
North Carolina
Carrboro, NC (Added 11-12-07 Source: Towns differ on illegal aliens by Patrick Winn, The News & Observer)
Chapel Hill, NC (Added 11-12-07 Source: Towns differ on illegal aliens by Patrick Winn, The News & Observer)
Charlotte, NC
Chatham County, NC (Added 1-14-09 Source: Chatham rejects immigration program, The News & Observer)
Durham, NC (6/13/07 Congressional Research Service)
Raleigh
Winston-Salem
Ohio
Columbus, OH (7/5/07 Source: 5/10/07 Columbus Dispatch article stating illegal aliens in misdemeanor cases are not reported to ICE)
Lima, OH (Added 10-28-08 Note: City administration opposes County Sheriff’s efforts to remove illegal aliens.)
Oberlin, OH (Added 1-25-09. Source: City Resolution adopted January 20, 2009)
Painesville, OH (7-19-07 Source: 7-18-07 Cleveland Scene article)
Oklahoma
Oklahoma City (de facto)
Tulsa (6-3-07 Note: Tulsa city council is discussing changing its sanctuary policy.)
Oregon
State of Oregon * (8-9-07 Congressional Research Service) *(See note below)
Ashland, OR (8-9-07 Congressional Research Service)
Gaston, OR (8-9-07 Congressional Research Service)
Marion County, OR (8-9-07 Congressional Research Service)
Portland, OR
Texas
Austin, TX (Congressional Research Service)
Baytown, TX (6-13-07 Local reader observation)
Brownsville, TX
Channelview, TX (6-13-07 Local reader observation)
Denton, TX
Dallas, TX
El Cenizo, TX (6-13-07 Congressional Research Service)
Ft.Worth, TX
Houston, TX (Congressional Research Service)
Katy, TX (Congressional Research Service)
Laredo, TX
Mcallen, TX
Port Arthur, TX (6-13-07 Reader/resident observation)
Utah
Provo, UT
Salt Lake City, UT
Virginia
Alexandria, VA* (Added 10-6-08, Source: City Resolution No. 2246 adopted 10-9-07)
Fairfax County, VA
Virginia Beach, VA (Added 6/3/07)
Vermont
Burlington, VT (Added 5-14-09 Source: 5-13-09 Associated Press story by Wilson Ring)
Middlebury, VT (Added 5-14-09 Source: 5-13-09 Associated Press story by Wilson Ring)
Washington
Metropolitan King County Council, WA (Added as a de facto sanctuary on 6-28-09 Source: The Seattle Times)
Seattle, WA (Added 5/30/07; Congressional Research Service)
Wisconsin
Madison, WI (Congressional Research Service)
Wyoming
Jackson Hole, WY
Washington, D.C.
Cities under review
Diamond Bar, CA (6/26/07 Disputed by city. Currently being researched to verify.)
DesMoines, IA (Added 11-28-07 Source: Proposal seeks banning immigration raids in D.M., by Nigel Duara, DesMoines-Register)
Bridgeton, NJ (Added 6-3-07) [7-27-07 Disputed by a reputed farm worker advocate, see note below.]
Peekskill, NY [Disputed, being researched]
San Antonio, TX [Note: The Sanctuary status of San Antonio is disputed, being researched.]