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You may face deportation or removal proceedings if the government has taken steps to end your temporary protected status. The United States is home to several sanctuary cities and counties that take proactive steps to shield vulnerable populations. Alina Kats and her team of best NYC immigration attorneys work hard to find a solution for you. They understand the problems you may experience throughout the immigration legal process and represent you to protect you from deportation or detention. They have the experience and knowledge needed to build the best defense possible to advocate your rights to remain in the United States.
While there is no official definition of what a sanctuary state, jurisdiction, or city is, the term refers to cities that provide limited cooperation to federal agencies in their efforts to deport undocumented immigrations.
The practice of sanctuary is a way through which faith groups and other communities try to protect immigrants from deportation. Read on to learn what sanctuary cities are, why they exist, and how they help immigrants.
A sanctuary city refers to a policy that limits or defines the extent to which a local or state government will share information with federal immigration law officers.
Over the years, as the federal government increased attempts to enlist state and local enforcement in immigration, certain communities across the country have been given the label of sanctuary cities or jurisdiction status. Sanctuary jurisdictions exist throughout the United States in the form of cities, states, and counties, but their operations and descriptions are unique and individual.
Sanctuary cities are really important because they uphold values important to America and the world and humanity and allow for better and safer cities. They play a crucial role in resisting federal overreach and fostering inclusive environments where immigrants can thrive.
Disinformation and propaganda about immigrants and refugees are everywhere. The practice of sanctuary came into existence to provide refuge to wrongfully accused people, and victims of unjust laws and immigrant communities in what has come to be known as the New Sanctuary Movement.
In 2007, faith groups across major US cities took part in the New Sanctuary Movement. Deportations by immigration detainers often separate families. As the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agency, carried out raids, faith groups provided refuge to immigrants facing deportation threats to help their families stay together.
This practice of offering sanctuary is not new. Throughout history, churches have been recognized as safe havens for the accused. Local government began adopting sanctuary policies in the 1980s when churches offered refuge to people fleeing civil war in El Salvador. This practice has drawn great attention over the last few decades as immigration has become a big issue for voters. About a dozen states and hundreds of cities across the United States consider themselves sanctuaries for undocumented immigrations.
ICE recognizes some sensitive locations. They include many congregations, schools, and hospitals, as well as safe spaces on some college campuses for undocumented immigrations. Participants of the new sanctuary movement have co-opted sensitive locations as sanctuary spaces. These are places where enforcement officers cannot target people easily.
Research shows that sanctuary policies allow immigrants to report abuses and engage with public safety officials without fearing deportation. It has been observed that sanctuary city policies enable immigrants to feel more comfortable acting as witnesses in criminal investigations.
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Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) can arrest immigrants for being undocumented. But, local law enforcement or police cannot have an undocumented immigrant become a detainee without reason. Police officers must suspect an immigrant of committing a crime before making a move. If local police make an arrest, one of two things may happen, depending on where the arrest took place.
In a sanctuary city, local officials release the immigrant after they are cleared of charges, pay bail, or complete jail time. On the other hand, in a non-sanctuary city, police can hold you until ice arrives. They will make a detainer request to ICE to inform them that you are in custody.
Remember, police or law enforcement can put you in jail if you have committed a crime or pose a threat to public safety, regardless of sanctuary policies in either city.
There are several different types of information-sharing or cooperation prohibitions that a city, state, or local government can use to become a sanctuary jurisdiction.
In some jurisdictions, the local police cannot make arrests for federal immigration violations or detain individuals on civil immigration warrants. Such immigration detainers are requests by the federal government to hold someone in criminal custody so that federal immigration and customs enforcement can intervene, detain, and deport the individual being held.
Some jurisdictions adopt policies that prohibit 287(g) agreements through which ICE deputizes local law enforcement officers to enforce federal immigration law. Named for Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), this program emphasizes formally deputizing state and local enforcement officers to collaborate with the federal government to enforce federal immigration laws.
Some jurisdictions pass laws, resolutions, or local amendments that state that local governments are not allowed to enter into contracts with the federal government to hold immigrants in detention. Others have policies that prevent the construction of immigrant detention centers in their state, community, or jurisdiction.
Certain communities prohibit their local law enforcement from divulging information regarding undocumented community members to federal immigration law authorities.
No. Sanctuary policies do not mean that local law enforcement hides or shelters undocumented immigrants from detection by federal authorities or the Department of Homeland Security. It also does not mean that local law enforcement protects undocumented immigrants from being deported or prosecuted for unlawful and criminal activities.
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State and local police have the authority to arrest immigrants who are accused of committing a crime in sanctuary jurisdictions.
Immigration laws in Brooklyn can be difficult to comprehend, especially if you are new to the United States, do not have proper documentation, or have been a victim of fraud. If you need a reliable legal representation, you can count on Alina Kats to navigate the complex immigration system on your behalf and secure your future in the United States. Alina understands the challenges and confusion you may be facing. She offers personalized legal services to ensure you have all the needed documents, which protect your rights and increase your chances of residing in the U.S.