In a sanctuary city the local government accepts the fact that there are people living in the city who are not there legally. #
They want these people to be able to call the police without fear of being turned into the feds. Otherwise crime would go unreported and that would create much larger problems. #
They want the children of these people, who are often American citizens, to be able to go to school, again without having the parents reported to the feds. If they didn't guarantee that, the kids wouldn't be in school, and we all lose by having uneducated adults. It's a core principle of this country that educated citizens are a good thing.#
They want them to be able to get health care, to go to a hospital when someone is seriously ill or injured. This is partly for pragmatic reasons, to slow disease spreading, and also because we are a rich country and keeping people healthy is a good thing, just like education. What other purpose could a government have? (A fair question for Republicans, one they probably wouldn't want to answer truthfully.) #
The Republican talking points make it sound like local governments that declare as sanctuary cities are weak or immoral or anti-American, but that is not what's going on. You couldn't run a city with huge crimes commited against illegals because they would be so vulnerable, and kids need education, and everyone needs health care. Yet I hear the word used all the time in public discourse, and am concerned that most people don't know what it means. #
Last update: Monday January 27, 2025; 11:56 AM EST.
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