Howard County, Maryland, officials – most of whom are Democrats – have proposed a new policy to provide illegals a safe haven from the deporation storm and join the growing list of hundreds of sanctuary cities and jurisdictions across America.
“The recent national political climate, increased incidents of hate speech and violence and unfortunate statements made by our nation’s president-elect have caused many in the Howard County comunity to fear for their personal safety and the loss of civil liberties,” said Howard County City Council member Calvin Ball, in a statement reported by the Baltimore Sun.
So the council’s solution?
Become a sanctuary city, so any deportation policies enforced by the incoming Donald Trump administration won’t impact illegals in the county.
Specifically, the proposal by Ball and fellow council member Jen Terrasa would limit the ability of local authorities to enforce immigration laws and outright ban them from asking about citizenship status.
At the same time, these same officials say they aren’t sure a sanctuary city declaration could withstand the Trump administration’s promised crackdown on illegals and on jurisdictions that defy federal laws by refusing to deport them.
Trump has vowed to cut federal funding for the hundreds of cities and communities around the nation that provide sanctuary for illegals. He’s also promised to unleash the power of law through his U.S. attorney general pick, Sen. Jeff Sessions, in order to curtail the flow of illegals to jurisdictions around the nation.
In what could be seen as a response to Trump’s vow, Suffolk County, New York, just announced it was dropping its label as a sanctuary city.
