After reviewing the latest data comparing sanctuary cities to non-sanctuary cities in the United States, the numbers show that the urban refuges welcoming illegal alien criminals – and set up by Leftist politicians – pose a much greater danger to residents, as witnessed by higher crime rates.

As President Donald Trump continues his attempts to shut down sanctuary cities across America – which are championed by progressive mayors and Left-leaning law enforcement agencies – WND endeavored to analyze a study conducted last August that set out find the relationship between “sanctuary city” policies and crime rates.

The numbers from the study titled, “The Politics of Refuge: Sanctuary Cities, Crime and Undocumented Immigration,” which is based on crime statistics published by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) were used to support arguments that sanctuary cities are anything but safe.

“[C]ities refusing to cooperate with federal immigration authorities consistently have significantly higher violent crimes rates than do non-sanctuary cities with similar populations and demographics,” WND gleaned from the research conducted by the University of California-Riverside and Highline College in Des Moines, Washington.

Sanctuary cities no sanctuaries

However, the same study has often been used by sanctuary city advocates from the radical Left to work toward their advantage, as their selective process has made America’s cities of refuge appear more safe than they really are.

“[P]roponents of ‘sanctuary cities’ [frequently site the study] … and ignore or downplay one important detail – the actual crime statistics of the carefully selected cities chosen for the comparison model,” WND’s Alicia Powe reported. “An analysis of the data by WND reveals that non-sanctuary cities comparable in population, size and demographics consistently – year over year – experience and report lower percentages of violent crime as well as lower percentages of property crimes.”

As many have misinterpreted what an actual sanctuary city is, the researchers conducting the study defined the term.

“[A sanctuary city is] a city or police department that has passed a resolution or ordinance expressly forbidding city or law enforcement officials from inquiring into immigration status and/or cooperation with ICE,” Benjamin Gonzalez-O’Brien, Stephen El-Khatib and Loren Collingwood, who co-authored the study maintained.

But the trio admittedly began their study assuming that they would find insignificant differences between sanctuary cities and non-sanctuary cities – a conclusion they claimed was supported by their findings.

“Since undocumented immigrants face deportation in addition to criminal charges, it is logical that they would avoid breaking the law to a greater extent than the native-born population,” the research team stated, noting in their introduction that they were confident about the similar results they will find. “We expect to see no statistically significant difference between sanctuary and non-sanctuary cities. We find it unlikely that sanctuary cities will have more crime – be it violent, property, or rape – as claimed by some political candidates and opponents of sanctuary cities.”

Setting the numbers straight

Taking a closer look at the numbers, WND revealed that sanctuary cities are not sanctuaries for the law-abiding citizens who originally inhabited them.

“However, their report buries the actual statistics,” Powe asserted. “The statistics show, from 2000 through 2014, sanctuary cities have had higher crime rates than non-sanctuary cities, with the disparity growing over time. The researchers examined 54 cities in 19 states, plus the District of Columbia – cities listed by the National Immigration Law Center that implemented sanctuary ordinances post-9/11, during or after 2002. Using city-level crime data compiled by the FBI, they assessed crime rates at the city level immediately following the implementation of a sanctuary policy.”

After matching like cities, they made a conclusion that those with a sanctuary city designation are not much different.

“Our findings provide evidence that sanctuary policies have no effect on crime rates, despite narratives to the contrary,” the researchers wrote, according to WND. “The potential benefits of sanctuary cities, such as better incorporation of the undocumented community and cooperation with police, thus have little cost for the cities in question in terms of crime.”

But the propaganda used to persuade Americans to support sanctuary cities is said to be problematic, at best.

“One of the mantras of the pro-sanctuary movement has been that the policies of non-enforcement and non-reporting of immigration violations to federal authorities would have the effect of fostering cooperation between police and city officials in matters of crime reporting and finding witnesses for prosecutions,” Powe informed.

She then exposed the misinformation disseminated by Leftists to sell their sanctuary programs.

“No data has ever been collected to suggest illegal immigrants are offering such cooperation in preventing and fighting crime in these jurisdictions,” Powe continued. “Concurrently, there is no study – scientific or anecdotal – to suggest illegal immigrants cooperate in fighting crime in these jurisdictions. At the same time, data shows criminal aliens being released by sanctuary jurisdictions commit more crimes when they get out than do non-aliens.”

The numbers also prove the researchers’ conclusions wrong.

“According to the Department of Homeland Security, from January 2014 to August 2014, more than 8,145 aliens were released from jail after arrest after their respective jurisdictions declined an immigration detainer request from Immigration and Customs Enforcement,” Powe divulged. “Sixty-two percent of them had a prior criminal record, and 3,000 of them were felons. Of the 8,145 individuals released, 1,867 were subsequently re-arrested a total of 4,298 times and accumulated a staggering 7,491 charges. The Government Accountability Office released a report on April 7, 2005, that found criminal aliens comprise about 27 percent of federal prisoners.”

Most Americans oppose sanctuary cities

Even though Democrats and many Leftists champion sanctuary cities in the name of tolerance, most Americans are opposed to the costly program.

“An overwhelming majority of Americans believe that cities that arrest illegal immigrants for crimes should be required to turn them over to federal authorities,” The Hill reported.

It was divulged that Trump’s crackdown on sanctuary cities is viewed by most as a welcomed idea.

“A survey from Harvard–Harris Poll provided exclusively to The Hill found that 80 percent of voters say local authorities should have to comply with the law by reporting to federal agents the illegal immigrants they come into contact with,” The Hill’s Jonathan Easley announced.

But despite the opposition of four out of five Americans to the program, local officials continue to push sanctuary city programs – at taxpayers’ expense.

“As it stands, hundreds of cities across the nation – many with Democratic mayors or city councils – are refusing to do so,” Easley added.

And paying to live with illegal alien criminals has proven to be quite costly.

“Trump … signed an executive order directing Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly to find ways to starve these sanctuary cities of federal funding,” Easley noted several weeks back. “A Reuters analysis found the top 10 sanctuary cities in the U.S. receive $2.27 billion in federal funding for programs ranging from public health services to early childhood education.”

Refusing to listen to the president or the majority of Americans, Texas’ Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez – who was sworn in as the elected head of the Travis County Sheriff’s Department earlier this year – was quick to adopt a policy of anti-cooperation that restricts her department from complying to virtually any (ICE) detainer requests.

“The public must be confident that local law enforcement is focused on local public safety – not on federal immigration enforcement,” Hernandez proclaimed, according to The Daily Signal.

But the thinking behind sanctuary cities is argued to defy common sense.

“No community of decent people – citizens, illegal immigrants or otherwise – wants to live in a society beset by violence and social dysfunction,” The Daily Signal’s Scott Erickson insisted. “Stripping local law enforcement of the ability to merely cooperate with their federal counterparts on issues as plain as the removal of a dangerous criminal jeopardizes the safety of all law-abiding individuals.”

He contends that the Texas sheriff’s naivety of buying into misleading sanctuary city propaganda needlessly puts innocent lives at risk.

“Hernandez and her refusal to cooperate with ICE on the removal of an individual accused of sexual assault against a child demonstrates the absurdity of those devoted to a dogmatic faith in sanctuary cities,” Erickson added. “Clarity and perspective should rule the day – especially when public safety is at stake.”

Center for Immigration Studies Director of Public Studies Jessica Vaughan insists that mayors subject residents to more crime when they declare their cities as sanctuary refuges for illegal alien criminals.

“Sanctuary policies don’t actually work – they are just an excuse for the political objections that they have for immigration enforcement,” Vaughan impressed, according to WND. “Cops will tell you that the main way they solve crimes is by evidence – not necessarily relying on witnesses.”

Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke also comes down hard against sanctuary cities.

“We are not a nation of immigrants,” Clarke told WND. “We are a nation of laws. When they can’t construct and build out an argument, the Left resort to name-calling. I’m tired of people who are on the Left trying to mix this up, talking about lawful immigration verses illegal immigration.”