To: Congressman Randy Neugebauer (TX-19)
From: Niravkumar Patel, Intern at Lubbock District Office
Date: February 14, 2011
Re: Please Introduce a Bill to Eliminate Sanctuary Cities
This memo requests that you write and introduce a bill on the House floor to make sanctuary
cities illegal and remove federal funding for those cities that continue their policies.
Sanctuary cities present several problems for our nation. They prohibit police officers from
reporting illegal immigrants to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Sanctuary cities
threaten our national security, are unconstitutional, increase crime rates, and hurt the US
economy. I recommend that you introduce a bill to make sanctuary cities illegal and remove
federal funding for cities that continue their sanctuary policies. Eliminating sanctuary cities
would provide a multitude of benefits for American citizens. I will first present the most
important arguments for the elimination of sanctuary cities. I will then provide responses to
counter-arguments. Then, I will present specific recommendations.
Arguments For the Elimination of Sanctuary Cities
Argument 1 – National Security
Sanctuary cities threaten the national security of the US.
According to a recent study conducted by the Department of Homeland Security, terrorists are
more likely to come into the United States illegally than legally. Five of the terrorists who
attacked the US on September 11 were here illegally.
Also, eight illegal immigrants were recently arrested by ICE. They are suspected of planning to
attack important landmarks in Washington DC. These illegal immigrants had previously been in
contact with local police. Their illegal status, however, was never reported to ICE.
Sanctuary cities protect illegal immigrants such as these. If local police come into contact with
illegal immigrants, they are not allowed to report these illegal immigrants to federal authorities.
This means that illegal immigrants can continue to live here and threaten our national security.
Argument 2 – Legality/Constitutionality
According to many legal experts, sanctuary cities are illegal.
The 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) states that a
“Federal, State, or local government entity or official may not prohibit, or in any way restrict,
any government entity or official from sending to, or receiving from, the Immigration and
Naturalization Service [now ICE] information regarding the citizenship or immigration status,
lawful or unlawful, of any individual.” This means that sanctuary cities are in fact illegal.
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Sanctuary policies also hinder police officers from doing their jobs, which is to enforce the law.
This itself is a crime.
The Supreme Court has not yet ruled on the constitutionality of sanctuary cities. Until the
Supreme Court rules sanctuary cities unconstitutional, it is the duty of Congress to stop their
policies.
Argument 3 – Crime Rates
Sanctuary cities cause crime rates to increase.
Sanctuary cities attract illegal immigrants. Illegal immigrants are more likely to commit crimes
than the average American citizen. According to several recent studies, illegal immigrants are
about five times more likely to commit a crime than American citizens. When illegal immigrants
know they will be protected by sanctuary cities, they are more likely to come to the US. This
will lead to an increase in crime.
A recent example in Newark, New Jersey, proves this point. Three young adults, all American
citizens, were shot and killed by five Hispanic males, all illegal immigrants. These illegal
immigrants had previously been arrested by law enforcement. Their illegal status, however,
was never reported to ICE. Newark, NJ, is a sanctuary city. Because of their sanctuary policies,
police officers could not contact ICE.
Increased crime hurts local citizens the most, because their rights are likely to be violated.
Overall, an increased crime rate means that the well-being of society will decrease. American
citizens deserve to be the ones protected by local police. Instead, sanctuary cities choose to
protect illegal immigrants.
Argument 4 – US Economy
Sanctuary policies hurt local economies.
This is because illegal immigrants take jobs for lower wages than American citizens, often times
below the minimum wage. In Texas specifically, farmers hire illegal immigrants at below
minimum wage. These are jobs that could belong to American citizens.
In addition, illegal immigrants do not pay federal income taxes because they work illegally. This
means decreased revenue for the federal government.
With sanctuary cities, the number of illegal immigrants in the country only increases. This
means jobs will continue to be taken from American citizens and the federal revenue will
continue to decrease.
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Illegal immigrants also remove money from the US economy. This is because they send their
earned income to their families in other countries. One recent study found that nearly 30% of
money earned by illegal immigrants is taken out of the country. This hurts the US economy
because it cannot operate at full capacity.
Responses to Counter-Arguments
Opponents of this bill may argue that it would violate the rights of illegal immigrants. This is
not true, however. Their rights would not be violated by this bill. Illegal immigrants would still
have a chance to fight any charges against them. They would still be guaranteed their due
process.
Opponents might also argue that police officers should not be responsible for enforcing federal
law. This is not, however, what the bill would ask police officers to do.
Rather, this bill would mandate that police officers simply inform federal authorities when they
become aware of an illegal immigrant in their jurisdiction. This bill would not require police
officers to use their time and resources seeking illegal immigrants.
Supporters of sanctuary cities might argue that allowing illegal immigrants to live openly is a
good thing. The problem with this argument is that it ignores the crime that illegal immigrants
have already committed. They are in violation of civil law by being in the country illegally.
There is no reason why they should be allowed to live openly. This is especially true when
illegal immigrants are able to live openly at the expense of the safety and well-being of
American citizens.
Recommendations
I recommend that you write and introduce a bill of the floor of the House of Representatives
that would make sanctuary cities illegal. In addition, the bill should remove federal funding for
cities that continue their sanctuary policies. This would be a form of punishment for cities that
do not follow the law. I also recommend that you ask your fellow members of Congress to
support this bill.
Conclusion
I am confident that you will agree with me on the benefits of eliminating sanctuary cities.
Sanctuary cities hurt the national security of the US. They are also illegal according to current
federal law. Sanctuary cities also put local citizens at risk. They attract illegal immigrants, who
are more likely to commit crimes than regular Americans. Finally, sanctuary cities hurt the US
economy because illegal immigrants are allowed to take jobs away from American citizens and
because they do not pay federal income taxes.
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In conclusion, please write and introduce a bill on the floor of the US House of Representatives
that would eliminate sanctuary cities and remove federal funding of cities that continue to use
sanctuary policies. Please also ask your fellow Congressmen and Congresswomen to support
this bill.
As an elected official, you have a duty to do what is best for American citizens. This bill would
go a long way in ensuring the well-being of Americans.
Total Memo Word Count: 1207
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