(5/2018) Six states, 132 counties, and 35 cities. According to the Center for Immigration Studies, as of November 2017, those are the numbers of jurisdictions across the United States that had “laws, ordinances, regulations, resolutions, policies, or other practices that obstruct immigration enforcement and shield criminals from ICE.” That’s a detailed way of saying that these are all jurisdictions that offer sanctuary, of some sort, to illegal aliens.

While the Center for Immigration Studies says there are 173 jurisdictions that turn a blind eye to illegal immigrants, other sources say there are closer to 300.

According to Wikipedia, a sanctuary jurisdiction is one “that limits its cooperation with the national government effort to enforce immigration law. Leaders of sanctuary cities want to reduce the fear of deportation and possible family break-up among people who are in the country illegally so that such people will be more willing to report crimes, use health and social services, and enroll the their children in school.”

In plain English, what does this mean? It means there could be up to 300 governments in the United States actively breaking federal law. That’s quite a paradox when you take into account part of the job of a government is literally to make and enforce laws.

Immigration policy in our country needs to be addressed. I don’t think anyone can argue with that. But that is something that must happen on a federal level. So until that point, state and local governments are required to follow federal law, just as you and I are. We can’t pick and choose which laws we’re going to obey and neither can local governments. The scary part is, some are.

While I have listened to arguments from all sides, and can understand where some are coming from, illegal immigration remains just that . . . “illegal.” So for any local government to pass a law protecting an illegal alien in anyway, they are just as criminal.

Would I love to be able to say I’ve come up with a completely new way of dealing with immigration policy? Of course I would. But it is not for a city, county, or state to create federal immigration policy. Or to alter it for that matter. Until the United States government finally takes action and comes up with real and substantial immigration reform, law is in place to deal with illegal aliens.

Here in Maryland, Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, and Baltimore City are classified in the sanctuary category. As far as I’m concerned, those are three jurisdictions too many.

As a member of the County Council, I will never support any policy allowing Frederick to go down the road of becoming a sanctuary county. It will be my job to help uphold the law, not break it. This is a red line in the sand for me. Illegal immigration is illegal.