A recent report has indicated that areas where former President Barack Obama’s “Welcoming Cities” program was implemented experienced a significant increase in crimes committed by undocumented immigrants.
While the program stops short of defining what “sanctuary cities” are, it offered various economic incentives and fostered collaboration among city governments and roughly 300 left-wing non-governmental and nonprofit organizations. This has been viewed by some advocates as support for illegal immigrants.
The initiative, which was launched in 2014, provides a “Certified Welcoming” designation to cities and counties that create policies meant to reflect their commitment to embracing immigrants. It aims, in part, to cultivate more inclusive communities across the United States.
The program also emphasizes that local governments pledge to uphold inclusive practices through its “Welcoming Standards,” intending to inform immigrants of their rights and duties legally.
Another aim of the initiative involved training local advocacy groups to help undocumented individuals understand federal immigration laws and navigate law enforcement issues.
The report pointed out that 36 cities have aligned themselves with President Obama’s Immigration Disruption Initiative, which notably includes George Soros as a partner.
However, this report noted that many of these communities saw a surge in crimes committed by undocumented immigrants, particularly in places like Chicago, Des Moines, and Los Angeles.
Since Obama’s efforts began in 2014, ongoing immigration challenges and strategies for tackling crime have prompted some areas to reconsider their stance.
“Earlier this year, Louisville’s mayor ended the city’s sanctuary policy after the Department of Justice issued legal threats. Similarly, Baltimore County agreed to work with ICE and subsequently was removed from the Department of Justice’s sanctuary jurisdiction list,” as reported.
According to a DOJ report, thirteen states, four counties, and eighteen cities have declared themselves as sanctuary regions.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi stated, “Sanctuary policies hinder law enforcement and deliberately put Americans in danger. The Department of Justice will keep pursuing legal action against sanctuary jurisdictions and collaborate closely with the Department of Homeland Security to eliminate these detrimental policies nationwide.”
Among the 36 regions embracing President Obama’s Welcoming Standards are Boise, Idaho, along with Champaign and Oak Park in Illinois, and cities across states like Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, and more.
