March 5th saw multiple sanctuary city mayors testify before a congressional committee. The reason behind the hearing was to determine whether sanctuary city policies were ultimately harmful. The committee also accused the city mayors of illegally obstructing the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) immigration enforcement efforts.
Republican committee members argued sanctuary city policies did more harm than good by providing immigrants with false hope about their future in the United States. Republican members repeatedly insisted that the mayor’s policies were misled or harmful. At least one committee member planned to refer the mayors to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for investigation.
Critics and Democratic committee members blasted the hearing as a performative exercise. They argued the real reason the committee had the city mayors testify was to strong-arm democratic cities into carrying out federal immigration enforcement. The city mayors clarified they were more than willing to cooperate with federal immigration agencies, but Congress must pass comprehensive immigration laws to make meaningful progress towards combating crime in sanctuary cities.
As always, ILBSG actively monitors ongoing U.S. immigration news. If you have questions about any U.S. immigration related issue, contact us. Working with an experienced attorney ensures you get the right advice based on the most recent laws. In an ever-evolving immigration policy landscape, it’s particularly critical.
