Is it appropriate for Howard to be a “sanctuary county” and prohibit county police from reporting detainees in the county detention center to federal authorities?

Ball : Immigration law enforcement is under the purview of the federal government. That cannot and should not be changed via local law. At a time when the President of the United States continues to divide us through his anti-immigrant rhetoric and is not being fiscally responsible with our taxpayer dollars, leading to cuts to important things like education, the arts, and the environment, we should not be taking local dollars to use for immigration enforcement. We need more money for education, to grow the economy, improve our environment, and invest in our infrastructure. I am opposed to racial profiling, which is usually how enforcement begins. I am opposed to policies which increase fear from our neighbors, who may be undocumented or love someone who is undocumented. It is very concerning that while some undocumented residents are afraid to report crime or abuse because of how President Trump is handling the immigration issue, instead of standing up for our County, our Republican County Executive tows the Party line by suggesting that all undocumented immigrants are gang members or somehow dangerous, yet still implements some modified sanctuary county policies. According to the data from numerous reports, the vast majority of undocumented immigrants, a higher percentage than of citizens, actually commit less crime and work harder, using fewer resources, because they do not want to alert anyone to their citizenship status. We should be a place that is compliant with the rule of law, as well as a beacon of compassion, empathy, and justice.

SHARE THIS ANSWER