Patterico's Pontifications

10/17/2007

Sanctuary Cities Survive for Now

Filed under: Immigration — DRJ @ 2:23 pm



[Guest post by DRJ]

We’ve previously discussed sanctuary cities that prohibit local government employees from notifying Federal immigration officials of the presence of illegal aliens. There’s good news for those who support sanctuary cities.

Last June, legislation sponsored by Rep. Tom Tancredo passed the House of Representatives that would withhold federal emergency services funding for sanctuary cities that protect illegal immigrants. Even Tancredo’s home-state newspaper, the Rocky Mountain News, expressed surprise at the bill’s passage given past legislative history on this issue.

Last night, the Senate narrowly tabled an amendment by Sen. David Vitter that would have denied funding to sanctuary cities. The vote was predictable with Democrats voting for tabling the amendment (to deny a vote on whether to continue sanctuary cities) and Republicans voting against. Louisiana’s Senator Mary Landrieu changed sides but the usual Republican Senators (Specter-PA, Snowe & Collins-ME, Lugar-IN, Hagel-NE, and Stevens-AK) voted with the Democrats to ensure the amendment was tabled. Some notable Democrats did not vote, including Senators Clinton and Obama. It was a close vote.

In a related vote, the Senate also tabled an amendment by Nevada’s Senator John Ensign that would have increased funding for the Criminal Alien Program (the same program used by Irving, Texas, as previously discussed here and here). It was not a close vote.

There are rumors at the immigration websites that the Democrats also plan to revive the Dream Act this week.

— DRJ

3 Responses to “Sanctuary Cities Survive for Now”

  1. Bill O’Reilly has stated we could close the border
    mox shcnell if we wanted to. We don’t want to.

    Savage mixes his homophobia with accurate analysis
    of the ‘disease’ that is (illegal)immigration.

    Pat Buchanan does not go nearly far enough.
    there are 100’s of thousands of fed and state homeland security bureaucrats who could be re-trained to:

    1.secure all the borders i.e. air, sea and physical with Canada and Mexico

    2. Get the organizational geniuses to give us the best white papers designed to break the sanctuary
    cities

    3. Internment of the criminal Latins such as setting up the agencies to get thrse folks ready for deportation

    4. 20 year moratorium on all immgration
    5. Retun of Peurto Rico to itself; U.S.Citizen- ship to be withdrawn from Puerto Rico–no grandfathering

    King Pandeen (87ec7f)

  2. Puerto Ricans have voted three times on their relationship with the United States. Every time, the majority votes to continue the Commonwealth with the US, much to the disappointment of both those who want Puerto Rico to become independent and those wishing for Puerto Rico to become a State.

    Puerto Ricans have been US citizens since 1917, Pandeen, I see no good reason for them to forfeit that.

    LarryD (feb78b)

  3. That’s the point Larry, they were given citizenship without good cause per the Jones Act.

    The Act has benefitted no one but them (with a few exceptions in terms of military valor). But,there has been no draft since 1974, no reason to keep this unnecessary appendage.

    Cut it loose; it’s given us far more trouble and crime than anything else.

    King Pandeen (87ec7f)


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