The Necessity For Sanctuary Cities For Immigrants In The US

Sanctuary city or cities are a concept traced way back in 1979 in order to prevent the police from probing a person’s identity. The cities seek to protect illegal immigration; this often involves the use of laws or some practices or habits. This system is common mostly in the United States of America and Canada. For instance, in the United States most states have adopted this concept, examples of these states include Los Angeles, Washington DC, New Jersey, Chicago, San Francisco and many other states. This procedure tends to harbor and shelter immigrants in the country. Sanctuary cities are a term commonly used to refer to cities that do not allow funds or resources to be used to enforce immigration laws on immigrants. This paper seeks to look critically at the Sanctuary cities deeply, focusing on its importance, merits, and demerits.

Sanctuary cities are mostly in the United States of America, but also countries like Canada, who have embraced the system. The system is present in some Canadian cities like Hamilton, Toronto, and Ontario. Sanctuary cities act primarily as the refuge for immigrants or people from other countries. The system creates not only provides a conducive environment for the illegal immigrants but also serves to protect the unauthorized people who come into the US without proper documents. Sanctuary city concept has been adopted by close to 70 or more cities across the country to avert the police or law enforcers from asking the residents or dwellers to prove their legal immigration status. In other words, the sanctuary cities tend to repulse or rather reduce the brutality or cruelness of the law.

Sanctuary cities have been a subject of contention since time immemorial, and the idea has received a lot of criticism and applause at the same time. These cities have brought about impacts across states and country as a whole. The impacts could either be positive or negative which could be the advantages or disadvantages too. Some of the benefits of sanctuary cities are contributions to the economy of the country by the aliens through investment in businesses and pay tax to the government. The aliens also are a source of labor and job creation opportunities. The immigrants also contribute by providing innovation and notions that are essential to the development of the country. The cities also serve to promote equal rights for citizens by fighting off discrimination of people through brutality of the law. The concept also enables the facilitation of community policing which allows the aliens and all citizens to work closely with the police in crime prevention.

Sanctuary cities however have a lot of its criticism that forms the basis of its demerits. Some of the disadvantages of asylum states are that the aliens pose a threat to national security because they are protected and seek refuge under these sanctuary laws. There is also the menace of terrorism and rise in crime because of the immigrants are not documented by the state. Sanctuary cities make it cumbersome to keep records of people including aliens. The aliens also install the pressure on resources in terms of social amenities. The resources become too little and not enough for all the citizens. Conclusively, sanctuary cities are essential and of tremendous importance to the society as it help to protect and support peaceful coexistence between citizens.