May 08, 2019 - Some heavily Republican states are currently constructing their own legislative “wall” against undocumented immigrants. The Trump administration crackdown on illegal immigration has hit a number of hurdles due to a reluctant Congress and a slew of court challenges. The most recent governor to agree to sign a bill which would ban “sanctuary cities” is Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson. The bill would cut off funding to any sanctuary city which refuses to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. The bill would also prohibit cities from stopping local law enforcement from asking a person about immigration status or citizenship. Although Governor Hutchinson did ask lawmakers to alter the bill due to his concerns about racial profiling, the sponsors of the bill refused, and bill gained final approval.
Florida Governor Solidly Behind Anti-Immigration Policies - Republicans in North Carolina, Montana and Michigan are considering similar legislation, and even Florida is poised to pass its own anti-sanctuary bill despite the fact that Democrats, civil rights groups and immigration activists are opposing the bill. In fact, a travel alert was even issued by the ACLU to anyone considering visiting Florida—the organization feels travelers could potentially risk being racially profiled and even detained without cause. Vocal Trump supporter Republican Governor Ron DeSantis is solidly behind the Florida ban on sanctuary cities. DeSantis made waves during his 2018 campaign when he aired an ad showing him helping his young daughter build a tiny border wall. DeSantis even borrowed one of Trump’s favorite tactics—having parents whose children were killed by undocumented immigrants by his side while noting “We do not want to be in a situation where we have more angel parents.”
Texas First State to Ban Sanctuary Cities - The state of Texas was one of the first to ban sanctuary cities in 2017. Tennessee and Iowa passed similar bills in 2018. Overall, the number of immigration-related bills passed by states has increased significantly since President Trump was sworn in—from 70 in 2016 to 175 in 2018. John Rowe, retired chairman and CEO of utility giant Exelon, has been passionate about fighting anti-immigration legislation, both in his part-time home of Florida and his home state of Illinois. Rowe says he “almost violently” opposes the actions of president Trump regarding immigrants as well as the President’s immigrant-bashing rhetoric. Rowe believes Americans need to get on board with immigration, realizing that immigrants represent the future and the economy of our nation.
New York Considering Becoming an Open Sanctuary State - At the other end of the spectrum, Democratic legislators in New York are considering a bill that would make the state an “open sanctuary state.” This means local cities would not be allowed to detain undocumented immigrants solely for federal immigration authorities. New York is also considering a bill which would allow some undocumented immigrants to obtain a driver’s license. Colorado is considering similar bills, and even in Arkansas the governor is considering allowing in-state tuition for those enrolled in DACA.
Sullo & Sullo Can Help - If you are in need of immigration assistance, you could potentially benefit from the services of a well-qualified Houston immigration attorney. The Houston law firm of Sullo & Sullo handles all types of immigration cases.