Wondering which states have banned sanctuary cities from being established? You’re in the right place!
The issue of illegal immigration into America, primarily through the Southern Border, but also through other means, has been a fixture of American political discourse for decades. For many years, both Republican and Democrat politicians paid lip service to the need to secure our borders, but rarely offered anything other than empty rhetoric to address the problem.
Until Donald Trump.
While the Trump Administration confronted the issue more aggressively than any other administration in recent memory, building walls and creating policies to keep migrants in third countries did not eradicate the problem entirely.
Now today, the Biden Administration has allowed the floodgates to open, nullifying any progress made by his predecessor.
But in reality, Leftwing politicians have contributed to the illegal immigration crisis for years and have supported policies in their states which directly contravene federal immigration laws.
The most flagrant violation of federal immigration law that has been supported by state and local governments is the establishment of “Sanctuary Cities.”
A Sanctuary City is: “a city whose municipal laws tend to protect undocumented immigrants from deportation or prosecution, despite federal immigration law.”
Sanctuary cities create incentives for migrants to come to America illegally and shield them from consequences once they have arrived. For a more comprehensive list of Sanctuary Cities and states, read our blog post on the subject here.
But the good news is that some states in the Union still value the rule of law.
Which States have Banned Sanctuary Cities?
Here are the states whose governments have banned Sanctuary Cities from being established:
Mississippi
There were no Sanctuary Cities in the state of Mississippi when the state decided to proactively ban them in 2017.
CNN reported that these bans block “counties, cities and colleges ‘from creating, planning, implementing, assisting, participating in, or enabling a sanctuary policy.’”
Missouri
In 2009, a law was enacted in Missouri to cut funding from any city who refused to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
North Carolina
This state banned Sanctuary Cities back in 2015.
In 2017 the state addressed the matter again, this time proposing to strip state revenues given to any jurisdiction who attempts to create an illegal immigrant sanctuary. The bill passed and was signed into law in June of 2018.
Alabama
In 2011, Alabama passed HB 56, which at the time was a controversial anti-illegal immigration law which prohibited Sanctuary Cities as well as implementing an array of measures meant to crack down on incentives for illegal immigrants, such as E-Verify requirements for employers, voting ID laws, and others.
South Carolina
While South Carolina does not explicitly have a ban on Sanctuary Cities, state law stipulates that no local entity can interfere with or restrict the enforcement of federal immigration laws. Blocking cooperation with federal agencies, such as ICE, is a common tactic in sanctuaries used to obstruct the deportation of illegals living there.
Georgia
Georgie banned Sanctuary Cities through legislation passed in 2009.
Tennessee
Tennessee also banned Sanctuary Cities in 2009.
Although the state does not have any Sanctuary Cities, in 2017, the state’s legislature introduced SB 155 which would strip state funding from any local entity enacting sanctuary policies. The bill was not voted on.
Florida
Florida passed a ban on Sanctuary Cities in 2019.
CNN reported that “Florida’s measure forbids law enforcement agencies and local governments from adopting policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities.”
Arkansas
The state of Arkansas also passed a ban on Sanctuary Cities in 2019.
The Arkansas Democrat Gazette reported that Governor Asa Hutchinson was initially reluctant to sign the bill for fear that it may lead to racial profiling. This objection was overcome when a provision to require probable cause was included when dealing with a suspected illegal immigrant.
Texas
Governor Greg Abbot signed Texas’ ban on Sanctuary Cities in 2017.
The law enforces a fine of $25,500 per day for any city who does not comply and permits charging police chiefs and constables who fail to comply with detention requests with misdemeanors, and in removal from office for elected and appointed officials.
Montana
Montana is the latest state to have banned Sanctuary Cities, passing the law in April 2021.
The state does not currently have any illegal immigrant sanctuaries, however, Governor Greg Gianforte believed the law was necessary in light of the immigration crisis currently playing out under the Biden Administration.
The law allows the state’s attorney general to pursue civil charges against jurisdictions who do not comply with state law, including fines and denying state funding.
A nation cannot exist without borders and the flood of illegal immigration currently surging through the country will do nothing but destabilize our communities, endanger law enforcement and citizens alike, and further erode the rule of law.
It is essential to the United States to confront this issue, and as the federal government continues to disregard its own mandate to enforce immigration law, this list is only likely to grow in coming years.
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Image Credit: Photo by Sam Xu on Unsplash
