A sanctuary city is a jurisdiction that limits its cooperation with the federal government in the enforcement of immigration laws. Sanctuary cities welcome refugees and undocumented immigrants without fear of prosecution or deportation by its municipal agencies [1]. There are currently 18 sanctuary jurisdictions in the state of Pennsylvania [2]. Sanctuary jurisdictions exist in Bradford County, Bucks County, Chester County, Clarion County, Delaware County, Erie County, Franklin County, Lebanon County, Lehigh County, Lycoming County, Montgomery County, Montour County, Perry County, Philadelphia County, Pike County, and Westmoreland County.
The Sanctuary Movement began in the 1980s to challenge the US government’s refusal to grant asylum to certain Central American refugees who arrived from countries in Central America like El Salvador and Guatemala that were politically unstable [3].
Timeline of the sanctuary movement in Pennsylvania
In February 2017, the Pennsylvania State Senate approved a bill that would withhold state funds from 'sanctuary cities' that do not share information on undocumented residents with federal authorities [5]. The vote passed the senate 37-12, with every Republican senator and three Democratic senators supporting the bill [6]. The bill would result in a loss of up to $1.3 billion for municipalities seeing as harboring the undocumented. Concerns over whether states can legally require municipalities to assist with the enforcement of federal law arise as some believe that the federal government must enforce its own immigration policies [7]. There has been a long-running debate on whether or not these policies lead to more violence. Many government officials, including Philadelphia’s mayor, Jim Kenney, argue that these policies are counterproductive as they lead to more crime and that crime rates declined the year he reinstated a sanctuary city policy [8]. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions on the other hand, argues that these cities give sanctuary to criminals [9]. Sessions has threatened numerous cities including Philadelphia with subpoenas if they fail to provide documents to show whether local law enforcement officers are sharing information with federal immigration authorities. This comes as a push in the Trump Administration's efforts to crackdown on immigration.
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A sanctuary city is a jurisdiction that limits its cooperation with the federal government in the enforcement of immigration laws. Sanctuary cities welcome refugees and undocumented immigrants without fear of prosecution or deportation by its municipal agencies [1]. There are currently 18 sanctuary jurisdictions in the state of Pennsylvania [2]. Sanctuary jurisdictions exist in Bradford County, Bucks County, Chester County, Clarion County, Delaware County, Erie County, Franklin County, Lebanon County, Lehigh County, Lycoming County, Montgomery County, Montour County, Perry County, Philadelphia County, Pike County, and Westmoreland County.
The Sanctuary Movement began in the 1980s to challenge the US government’s refusal to grant asylum to certain Central American refugees who arrived from countries in Central America like El Salvador and Guatemala that were politically unstable [3].
Timeline of the sanctuary movement in Pennsylvania
In February 2017, the Pennsylvania State Senate approved a bill that would withhold state funds from 'sanctuary cities' that do not share information on undocumented residents with federal authorities [5]. The vote passed the senate 37-12, with every Republican senator and three Democratic senators supporting the bill [6]. The bill would result in a loss of up to $1.3 billion for municipalities seeing as harboring the undocumented. Concerns over whether states can legally require municipalities to assist with the enforcement of federal law arise as some believe that the federal government must enforce its own immigration policies [7]. There has been a long-running debate on whether or not these policies lead to more violence. Many government officials, including Philadelphia’s mayor, Jim Kenney, argue that these policies are counterproductive as they lead to more crime and that crime rates declined the year he reinstated a sanctuary city policy [8]. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions on the other hand, argues that these cities give sanctuary to criminals [9]. Sessions has threatened numerous cities including Philadelphia with subpoenas if they fail to provide documents to show whether local law enforcement officers are sharing information with federal immigration authorities. This comes as a push in the Trump Administration's efforts to crackdown on immigration.
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