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Sanctuary Cities, USA

What are they?

By Steve Salvi (Revised 2-1-08)

Despite a 1996 federal law [the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act ( IIRIRA )] that requires local governments to cooperate with Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), many large urban cities (and some small) have adopted so-called "sanctuary policies."

Generally, sanctuary policies instruct city employees not to notify the federal government of the presence of illegal aliens living in their communities.

The policies also end the distinction between legal and illegal immigration--so illegal aliens often benefit from city services too.


A formal sanctuary policy is a written policy that may have been passed by a local government body in the form of a resolution, ordinance, or administrative action--general or special orders, or departmental policies.



Formal sanctuary cities are the easiest to identify since their actions to become a sanctuary city are public record. Click here to read one city's (Tulsa, OK) police department policy.

List of US Sanctuary Cities:

http://www.ojjpac.org/sanctuary.asp