The Wisdom and Legality of Sanctuary Cities [2019 National Lawyers Convention]

On November 14, 2019, the Federalist Society's Criminal Law & Procedure Practice Group hosted a panel for the 2019 National Lawyers Convention at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC. The panel discussed "The Wisdom and Legality of Sanctuary Cities". The issue of sanctuary cities has increasingly been in the news in recent years. The Trump administration has threatened to cut off funds to sanctuary jurisdictions and to transport aliens who enter our borders to those jurisdictions, and also claims that these jurisdictions are endangering their citizens. Sanctuary jurisdictions have challenged (so far successfully) the administration’s ability to cut off funds, and have cited the 10th Amendment, among other arguments, to support their actions. They also argue that being a sanctuary jurisdiction actually helps their law enforcement efforts by encouraging illegal immigrants (who are often victims or witnesses of criminal conduct) to “come out of the shadows” and cooperate with law enforcement officials. A Massachusetts judge and her bailiff were recently indicted for helping to assist an illegal alien escape the clutches of an ICE agent who was waiting to arrest him, and federal authorities are still contemplating charges against Oakland’s mayor for warning illegal aliens that immigration authorities were about to conduct raids looking for them. This panel debated the legal and moral questions surrounding sanctuary cities. ******* As always, the Federalist Society takes no position on particular legal or public policy issues; all expressions of opinion are those of the speakers. Featuring: -Moderator: Judge Kurt D. Engelhardt, United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit -Jefferson B. Sessions III, former United States Attorney General -Judge Stephanos Bibas, United States Court of Appeals, Third Circuit -Mark Fleming, National Immigrant Justice Center -Christopher Hajec, Immigration Reform Law Institute -Prof. Ilya Somin, Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University