Target: The immigrant rights community
Goal: Thank community activists for working to secure a preliminary court injunction against President Trump’s efforts to defund sanctuary cities.
Major cities across the U.S. faced funding cuts under the Trump administration after the signing of a new executive order instructing authorities to prevent federal grants from going to sanctuary cities. These cities limit their cooperation with federal immigration authorities to help protect undocumented immigrants, and include San Francisco, Philadelphia, and New York City, among others. Thankfully, a U.S. district judge has issued a preliminary injunction against the order, staying any further attempts to defund sanctuary cities until the matter can be reviewed by the courts.
President Trump has made it a goal to ramp up the deportation of undocumented immigrants above many other pressing policy issues, and targeting sanctuary cities has long been on his to-do list. As Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities detain more and more immigrants, sanctuary cities have provided some relief for those fearing deportation, and petitions like this one have highlighted their positive impact. As a result of their policies, sanctuary cities can ultimately decrease crime by encouraging undocumented immigrants to come forward as victims or witnesses and help make our cities safer.
In his ruling against the order, Judge William H. Orrick of the Northern District of California stated that it would be unconstitutional for the federal government to force local governments to go above and beyond their legal obligations to cooperate with immigration officers. With an injunction in place, a city that does not actively violate existing federal law cannot see its funding pulled, freeing sanctuary cities to continue their important work of aiding law enforcement and harmless undocumented immigrants. Sign this petition to show your support for immigrants and the people who are fighting to keep them safe.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear immigrant rights community,
Thank you for successfully working to get a court ruling against President Trump’s executive order seeking to defund sanctuary cities. By stepping in to halt one of the administration’s many new policies against undocumented immigrants, you have served as a crucial counterbalance to the implementation of Trump’s campaign promises that unfairly demonize some of the country’s most vulnerable residents.
Sanctuary cities provide refuge for undocumented immigrants to feel safe and welcomed in the community, enabling better law enforcement as a result. Despite this, the Trump administration has made it a goal to increase deportations at all costs, and in so doing jeopardizes the powers of local government and threatens the ability of law enforcement to police communities safely.
Cities that limit their cooperation with federal immigration authorities are acting within their rights to protect residents and conduct smart policing. As deportations increase across the country, it is heartwarming to know that sanctuary cities will continue to provide refuge for some of the immigrants that make our communities so vibrant.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Ken Lund
congrats