America’s 250th birthday is an occasion to reflect on how our remarkable nation has weathered attack, civil war, and turmoil in politics, anchored by our foundational documents and laws. Immigration policy, and especially immigration enforcement, has emerged as a new stress test, generating unprecedented resistance, not just by agitators and protesters, but also at the state and local government level, through the adoption of sanctuary policies.
Our Constitution gives Congress the authority to write immigration laws, with directives, authorities, and funding for the president to implement and enforce them. In recent years, some Democratic state and local lawmakers, frustrated that Congress has not changed immigration laws to their liking, such as by offering an amnesty to those here illegally, have chosen to undermine the federal immigration agencies by adopting sanctuary laws and policies.
Sanctuary policies are a serious challenge to the rule of law in the United States and to the constitutional immigration scheme. They also undermine public safety and community trust, which are among the most important features of our society that attract immigrants to America in the first place.