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According to one report by USA Today titled: "sanctuary cities': more states follow President Trump's crackdown," over the past three years, about 33 states have considered putting laws into place that go after sanctuary cities. And the undocumented immigrants they detain and refuse to turn over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The article refers to the legislation from Republican-run states such as Texas, Georgia, Mississippi and Indiana which have already passed laws to punish local governments, officials, universities and even law enforcement.
Conflicted groups and the rise of sanctuary city laws
Businesses have threatened to boycott governments who are legislating to enforce their crackdown and law enforcement is conflicted with having to follow incoming laws, all of which points to the assertion that President Trump's anti-immigration views are influencing similar mindsets to act.
Blasting News wrote about Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's crackdown where the article suggested that Abbott was doing what Trump can't as Congress currently stalls the President's agenda. The USA Today article mentioned earlier refers to the executive director of the Immigration Reform Law Institute, Dale Wilcox, who confirmed that the President's marshaling confidence was influencing the rise of laws against sanctuary cities.
State's crackdown unconstitutional
The "sanctuary city" term itself broadly covers all cities that have open arms policies and focus on arresting violent crime offenders rather than those with undocumented statuses. While some cities have embraced and even proudly consider themselves as sanctuary cities, many cities don't consider themselves as one.
Ali Noorani, executive director of the National Immigration Forum, referred to the state of Arizona's sanctuary city crackdown and how their law failed as it was struck down in the courts. Noorani said that the law was unconstitutional and that other states who followed Arizona's example could expect their laws to be struck down as well.
Department of Justice support
The rush that many states to pass their laws are driven by Trump's view that those cities are allowing dangerous and violent undocumented immigrants to roam free. But, the law would also target those who might otherwise come forward to report crimes in their communities who would also end up being deported.
Local law enforcement feels that they will eventually become threats to the communities they serve and that because of it, residents will not come forward to report crimes. The USA Today article also referred to the wave of similar laws in 2010 which were stuck down by the Justice Department (DOJ) under President Obama. Now, with Jeff Sessions as Attorney General under President Trump, the new wave of laws will not have as much of a problem being rejected.
