Speech #1030111768

Over the years. we have worked hard in the Congress to try and promote such cooperation. Given these efforts. I am concerned about the fact that. over the last decade. some local jurisdictions have enacted laws that attempt to limit local governments cooperation with the Immigration and Naturalization Service in its efforts to enforce our Nations immigration laws. These local laws are often referred to as "sanctuary." "refuge." or "noncooperation" laws and often limit or sometimes entirely prohibit city officials from cooperating with the INS. Surprisingly. these local laws or policies of noncooperation have most often been adopted in some of the nations largest cities. which. we all know. often have the most serious problems with illegal aliens. They have been adopted by cities in all regions. including New York. Chicago and Los Angeles. Here are a few examples of what I speak. In 1986. the Oakland City Council unanimously adopted a resolution declaring Oakland to be a city of refuge for certain foreign nationals and instructed all Oakland city employees to "refrain from assisting or cooperating" with the INS relating to alleged violations of the civil provisions of the immigration laws. In 1989. San Francisco adopted an ordinance even broader than Oaklands. declaring San Francisco a city and county of refuge and not limiting that to any specific foreign nationals. This ordinance generally prohibited the use of "City funds or resources to assist in the enforcement of Federal Immigration law * * * unless such assistance is required by federal or state statute. regulation or court decision." The only general exception applies to persons booked for allegedly committing a felony. In Los Angeles. a written police department policy permits officers to notify the INS only in limited circumstances when they come in contact with illegal aliens. While the State of California has recently enacted a statute prohibiting certain local noncooperation laws. this law applies only to persons arrested and booked for allegedly committing a felony. As a result. the new State law still allows noncooperation regarding large numbers of illegal aliens. those who may have been arrested or convicted of misdemeanors and those who are administrative violators. A broadly worded Chicago executive order of April 25. 1989. prohibits city officials from investigating or assisting "in the investigation of the citizenship or residency status of any person unless such inquiry or investigation is required by statute. ordinance. Federal regulation or court decision." This order thus appears to prohibit local law enforcement authorities from voluntarily cooperating with the INS.