If you close your eyes and put your head in the sand, you might think that you’ve entered “the Twilight Zone” and been transported to America, dateline 1950s – a period of intense fear, suspicion, moral panic and mass political persecution known as “the Red Scare.” Or at least, that seems to be the plan as sanctuary cities have been added to the president’s ever-growing list of people, programs and policies that stand in direct opposition to his agenda.
And while the president says he’s merely following the mandate of voters who returned him to the White House, others have their doubts.
One of the first actions Trump took upon regaining power was to attack sanctuary cities, but there’s no evidence that the move will decrease crime or build safer communities. Then, on April 28, the president signed an executive order directing the Department of Homeland Security and the Attorney General to identify and publicly highlight jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate with immigration authorities. The list identifies just over 500 sanctuary jurisdictions including cities, counties and states that are allegedly deliberately obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration laws and endangering American citizens.
Further, while some officials, like D.C. Mayor Bowser, who, with little fanfare, inserted a section in her recent budget requesting a repeal of a 2020 law that references sanctuary, others, like Baltimore Mayor Scott, said that while Baltimore is “not a sanctuary city,” he makes no apologies for being a “welcoming city” and is ramping up efforts to protect the immigrant community and the money it gets from the federal government.
Ultimately, and because sanctuary policies have been found in compliance with federal law, the U.S. Supreme Court will serve as the final arbiter as legal experts believe the president’s actions violate the Constitution’s 10th Amendment. Federal courts have previously ruled that the federal government may not force states and localities to participate in immigration enforcement. But that hasn’t stopped Trump so far.
Who will make the “hit list” next? With that question, it’s important to speak out against all wrongs and work toward equity for all.
Consider the chilling words of Martin Niemöller, a German Lutheran pastor who spent eight years in a Nazi concentration camp, who warned of the domino effect of coming for specific groups.
“First, they came for the Socialists (Trade Unionists, Jews) but I wasn’t a Socialist (a Trade Unionist, a Jew) and I didn’t speak out,” Niemöller said. “Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak for me.”